California's first legislature, meeting in 1849–50, charged the Secretary of State to receive "…all public records, registered maps, books, papers, rolls, documents and other writings…which appertain to or are in any way connected with the political history and past administration of the government of California…" The California State Archives, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, continues to serve in the spirit of those early instructions, providing a repository for the state's permanent governmental records as well as other materials documenting California history. The California State Archives serves a wide variety of researchers whose interests range from legislative intent and public policy to genealogy and railroad history in California.
Archives staff continually organize and describe the records we receive to provide easier and faster access for researchers. A listing of our recently processed records at the California State Archives is now available for researchers to review.
We encourage you to explore our website LearnCalifornia.org. This website incorporates the collections of the California State Archives into helpful lesson plans for students and teachers. Visitors can also view online exhibits that showcase documents, photographs, maps, and artifacts from the California State Archives.
