Ranchos of California
Okay kiddo, have you ever heard of a place called California? Well, back in the olden days, California used to be a big piece of land that was owned by Mexico. There were these big, big plots of land called ranchos or ranches. They were like HUGE farms with lots of animals and crops.
The people who lived on the ranchos were called rancheros. They were like bosses or owners of the ranchos. They had lots of workers, called vaqueros, who took care of all the animals and crops on the ranchos.
The rancheros would sell the crops and animals they raised for money, and that’s how they would make a living. They had big, beautiful houses called haciendas where they would live with their families.
But one day, in the year 1846, some Americans came and took California away from Mexico. They wanted the land for themselves. This led to a war between Mexico and the United States. When the war ended, many of the rancheros lost their land and were forced to sell it to the new American owners.
The ranchos may not be around anymore, but if you go out to California today, you can still see some of the old ranchos and learn about the history of the rancheros who lived there.
The people who lived on the ranchos were called rancheros. They were like bosses or owners of the ranchos. They had lots of workers, called vaqueros, who took care of all the animals and crops on the ranchos.
The rancheros would sell the crops and animals they raised for money, and that’s how they would make a living. They had big, beautiful houses called haciendas where they would live with their families.
But one day, in the year 1846, some Americans came and took California away from Mexico. They wanted the land for themselves. This led to a war between Mexico and the United States. When the war ended, many of the rancheros lost their land and were forced to sell it to the new American owners.
The ranchos may not be around anymore, but if you go out to California today, you can still see some of the old ranchos and learn about the history of the rancheros who lived there.