CSET: SUBTEST 1: CALIFORNIA
HISTORY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What is California's geography like, and how did it affect the state? - ANSWER-
Mountains: Sierra Nevadas run 400 along eastside of state, isolated CA until mid
nineteenth century, provided water from snow
- Desert: most of southeast CA, Mojave Desert, Death Valley, isolated CA from east and
south
- Central Valley: large valley spanning entire middle section of the state, good for
agriculture
- Coast: extensive coastline provided protection from foreign conquest predating ocean
exploration
Kinship networks - ANSWER(American Indians) tribes centered around familial
associations, and formed basis for leadership, social organization, and economics
Describe American Indian religion - ANSWERpriests, shamans, ritualists. Kuksu system
in the north, toloache system in the south
Describe American Indian economics - ANSWERhunters, trappers, gatherers; trade
promoted communication and expansion
Who was the first to explore CA and when? - ANSWERSpanish explorers! Mid sixteenth
century!
Who established New Spain (Baja CA) and oversaw the fall of the Aztec Empire? -
ANSWERHernando Cortes, 1519
King Carlos - ANSWERSpanish king, who, in 1769, ordered many expeditions to north
CA to claim it and establish missions
Junipero Serra - ANSWERFranciscan priest who accompanied one of the first Spanish
expeditions; established mission system
The Missions - ANSWER(mid 1700s) 21 missions between San Diego and San
Francisco; self contained, church was main building, also living quarters, kitchens,
workshops, storerooms, etc; prosperous and functional; some CA Indians came
willingly, others were forced
Known as El Camino Real
HISTORY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What is California's geography like, and how did it affect the state? - ANSWER-
Mountains: Sierra Nevadas run 400 along eastside of state, isolated CA until mid
nineteenth century, provided water from snow
- Desert: most of southeast CA, Mojave Desert, Death Valley, isolated CA from east and
south
- Central Valley: large valley spanning entire middle section of the state, good for
agriculture
- Coast: extensive coastline provided protection from foreign conquest predating ocean
exploration
Kinship networks - ANSWER(American Indians) tribes centered around familial
associations, and formed basis for leadership, social organization, and economics
Describe American Indian religion - ANSWERpriests, shamans, ritualists. Kuksu system
in the north, toloache system in the south
Describe American Indian economics - ANSWERhunters, trappers, gatherers; trade
promoted communication and expansion
Who was the first to explore CA and when? - ANSWERSpanish explorers! Mid sixteenth
century!
Who established New Spain (Baja CA) and oversaw the fall of the Aztec Empire? -
ANSWERHernando Cortes, 1519
King Carlos - ANSWERSpanish king, who, in 1769, ordered many expeditions to north
CA to claim it and establish missions
Junipero Serra - ANSWERFranciscan priest who accompanied one of the first Spanish
expeditions; established mission system
The Missions - ANSWER(mid 1700s) 21 missions between San Diego and San
Francisco; self contained, church was main building, also living quarters, kitchens,
workshops, storerooms, etc; prosperous and functional; some CA Indians came
willingly, others were forced
Known as El Camino Real
