Sacramento Becoming the Capital
Most non-natives of California assume San Francisco or Los Angeles to be the capital of California. However, Sacramento was named the permanent state capital all the way back in 1879. This comes as no surprise considering the history of Sacramento is as old as California itself.
Sacramento was an ideal choice to be capital for an array of reasons at the time it was declared. Because of the Gold Rush frenzy, it had already become the destination point of choice for the new settlers who came to California hoping to make it big. With the gold hunters also came blacksmiths, shopkeepers, and other entrepreneurs who gave the city a good economic base. What’s more? Unlike previous temporary capitals in California, Sacramento was not near the ocean. This meant that there was little chance of invasion by sea. At the same time, it had a strategic enough location to engage economically.
Most prominently, many of the most powerful people in the newly formed state of California lived in Sacramento at the time. This meant that no new city had to be formed; rather, the state capital could move to an area that had already been established and that was as persuasive as can be. With its new status and strategic location, the population of Sacramento grew, the city quickly prospered, and Sacramento steadily got its reputation as one of the best places to live out West.