In December 1846, the largest battle of the US-Mexico War in California occurred about 30 miles north of Old Town, in the San Pasqual Valley near today’s San Diego Zoo Safari Park. American and Mexican forces struggled for control of Alta California and the battle paved the way to the eventual Mexican surrender near Los Angeles, a month later. As part of the broader war from 1846 to 1848, the action near San Diego secured control of Upper California for the United States and ensured its inclusion as part of the land ceded to the United States by Mexico in 1848 under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. 175 years ago, in 1850, California became the 31st state. David Miller received his PhD from the University of California, San Diego in 2007. His research focus is the social and cultural history of the nineteenth-century United States. David has been with USD since 2005, offering a range of upper and lower-division courses including The Civil War and Reconstruction, The Civil War and Reconstruction in Popular Culture, US Immigration History, California History, A History of Race and San Diego, US History to 1877, and Race and Ethnicity in the American Experience. Miller received the 2017 Faculty Award for Exceptional Teaching, the 2019 Center for Educational Excellence "Best Attendance" award, and in 2020 the Center for Catholic Thought and Culture travel grant to explore the history of immigration in San Francisco and New York City from a Catholic perspective. He is the History Department's internship program coordinator. David also serves as the co-editor of The Journal of San Diego History, a joint venture with the San Diego History Center, and can be found on any given day out and about exploring our city. Visit: https://coronado.librarycalendar.com/event/sv-hold-38399
