There are eight islands located off the coast of southern California which comprise California's Channel Islands. These are divided into two separate groups: the Northern Channel Islands (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa Islands), and the Southern Channel Islands (Santa Catalina, Santa Barbara, San Nicolas and San Clemente Islands). The four Northern Channel Islands, plus Santa Barbara Island, fall within the boundaries of Channel Island National Park.
The Northern Channel Islands visually represent a seaward extension of the Santa Monica mountain range. Current scientific evidence suggests that these islands probably have not been connected to the mainland by a land bridge at least since the Pleistocene Ice Age which began about one and a half million years ago. It is known, however, that about 18,000 years ago these northern islands were connected to each other as one large island which scientists call Santarosae. With various rises in sea level, Santarosae eventually became the four separate islands as we see them today.
The first life forms arrived on Santarosae by various means, including air flotation, flight, sea water flotation, swimming, and accidental rafting. Through time and in isolation, many of the plants and animals now living on the Channel Islands have evolved into Endemic species, subspecies and varieties.
Human occupation of the Northern Channel Islands has gone through four major phases: the prehistoric (Indian) era, the Spanish era, the Mexican era, and today's American era. It is not known when the prehistoric human occupation of the Northern Channel Islands began. Radiocarbon dates suggest that prehistoric man inhabited the Northern Channel Islands as long ago as 10,700 years (San Miguel Island). It has also been suggested that man may have occupied Santarosae as long ago as 30,000 years. The Chumash Indians inhabited the Northern Channel Islands until the 19th century. The Channel Island peoples depended heavily upon the sea for their resources, since the plant and animal life available to them was limited on each island. The maritime economy was well developed as a result.
The Spanish era on the Northern Channel Islands began in 1542 with the voyage of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. Reports from the expedition, recorded many years later, contain the first written mention of these islands, collectively called Islas San Lucas. This marked the beginning of recorded contact with island indians. For the remainder of the 16th and all of the 17th century, less than a handful of expeditions are known to have left a record of visits to the Northern Channel Islands. It was not until 1769 that the sea going portion of the Portola expedition was to claim the islands for the King of Spain under the Law of Indies. Twenty four years later (1793) the island's names as we know them today were finalized by the English explorer Vancouver. The Indians who had occupied the islands during the Spanish era greatly decreased in their number until the early 19th century when the last of them were removed to the mainland for "missionization." Sea otter hunting around the islands began in the late 1700s and continued into the mid-1800s. Russians, Aleuts, Spanish, English, French and Portuguese all participated in the trade until the animals were hunted to extinction on the islands.
The Mexican era began in 1821 with Mexico's successful revolt against Spain, and ended with the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo when California passed to the United States. During the Mexican era, the two northern islands of Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa were granted by the Governor of Mexico to private individuals. Anacapa and San Miguel Islands were left ungranted to pass to the new American government. In 1850 California became a state, and thus began the American era.
San Miguel and Anacapa Islands remain possessions of the U.S. Government, although they had their share of squatters, fishermen and lessees. In 1909 President Taft reserved the islands for lighthouse purposes and a more active role as land owner was taken.
In 1980 the federal government created the Channel Islands National Park
Santa Rosa Island remained under private ownership until 1986 when it was purchased by the Federal Government. In 1987 Santa Cruz Island was donated to The Nature Conservancy by the late Carey Stanton and remains a private in-holding within the boundaries of the Channel Islands National Park.
For further information regarding the Santa Cruz Island Foundation or the history of the California Channel Islands email us or contact us at:
The Santa Cruz Island Foundation
1010 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara, Ca. 93101
(805) 963-4949