The Founding of Los Angeles: A Look at the 11 Families Who Settled the City

Los Angeles is a city with a rich and diverse history, and its founding is no exception. In 1781, a group of 44 colonists, led by Governor Felipe de Neve, arrived in what is now Los Angeles and established El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles. This group of settlers consisted of 11 families, each with their own unique backgrounds and stories. Ríos-Bustamante notes that many of the settlers had already been culturally assimilated and ethnically mixed with the Spanish-speaking mixed-race society in the century prior to the founding expedition.

The 1790 census shows that they resided in the Presidio of San Diego and later in Los Angeles. Mason, a historian of Los Angeles and early California, discovered the ethnic richness of the Town of the Queen of Los Angeles through extensive research. He found that more than half of the original settlers - Antonio Mesa, Manuel Camero, Luis Quintero, José Moreno, their wives and the wives of José Antonio Navarro and Basilio Rosas - had African ancestors, which was typical in the northern provinces of New Spain. The Pico brothers had 26% African ancestry, and Pico Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles is named after them.

The settlers arrived safely in Los Angeles on September 4th, 1781, and lots for houses and fields were divided among each family. The natives weren't very welcoming to travelers and they really didn't like the Spanish soldiers watching Los Pobadores. To commemorate their arrival, a custom was revived that continues to this day: processions and masses began on the first anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles in 1782 and continued for nearly a century afterwards. The descendants of these colonists and soldiers naturally played a leading role in the development of Los Angeles.

A grandson served as mayor of Santa Barbara; Eugene Biscailuz, great-grandson, as sheriff of Los Angeles. The original Olvera street plaque commemorating Los Pobladores had for many years omitted any reference to the African heritage of the Settlers.Los Angeles has come a long way since its founding by 11 families over 200 years ago. It is now one of the most diverse cities in the world, with people from all walks of life living side by side. The city's history is an important reminder that diversity is something to be celebrated.