Anza's First Expedition to California
The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail marker along the Anza Trail in Tubac, Arizona.
Did you know that there were two Anza expeditions to California?
On January 8th, 1774, Juan Bautista de Anza II departed from Tubac, Arizona, leading his first expedition to scout a land route to California.
His famous second expedition occurred between 1775-1776 and brought a large group of settlers and soldiers into California and founded San Francisco.
Who Was Juan Bautista de Anza II (1736–1788)?
Juan Bautista de Anza II was born in 1736 in Fronteras, Sonora (near present-day Agua Prieta, Mexico). His father, Juan Bautista de Anza I, served as the commander of the local presidio and had emigrated from the Basque region of Spain to the northwestern territories of New Spain (modern-day Sinaloa and Sonora). Tragically, Anza I was ambushed and killed by Apaches near the Santa Cruz River in 1740 when his son was just three years old.
Following in his father's footsteps, Anza II quickly advanced in the frontier military, eventually being appointed captain of the Tubac Presidio in 1759.
1908 Map depicting the region of the Devil’s Highway.
El Camino del Diablo
The southern route Anza took in January 1774 from the Royal Presidio of San Ignacio de Tubac included a section of road still known today as El Camino del Diablo ("The Devil's Highway").
Los Soldados de Cuera
Accompanying Anza on this scouting expedition were 34 soldados de cuera (leather-jacketed soldiers) from the Tubac Presidio, along with Father Francisco Garcés, a Franciscan missionary.
Poster advertising the re-enactment of the Anza expeditions for the American Bicentennial celebrations.
The Expedition and Return Route
On their return journey, the party followed the Gila River eastward to its confluence with the Santa Cruz River, then traveled south along the Santa Cruz back to the Tubac presidio. This leg of the journey proved invaluable for the future expedition.
The group returned to Tubac in May 1774, five months after their departure. Based on the knowledge gained during this expedition, the northern river route became the path for Anza's 1775–1776 colonization expedition, successfully establishing an overland connection to California.
Map of the 1775-1776 colonizing expedition route from the National Park Service.
For the full story of the Anza Expedition, join us for our Anza Trail Hike here.