▁B aja ▁California ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Al ta ▁California . ▁ ▁Secret ▁English ▁claims ▁▁ ▁Un known ▁to ▁Spain , ▁Sir ▁Francis ▁Dra ke , ▁an ▁English ▁private er ▁who ▁pill aged ▁Spanish ▁ships ▁and ▁settlement s , ▁claimed ▁the ▁Al ta ▁California ▁region ▁for ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 5 7 9 , ▁a ▁full ▁generation ▁before ▁the ▁first ▁English ▁landing ▁in ▁Jam est own , ▁Virginia ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 7 . ▁During ▁his ▁circ umn avigation ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁Dra ke ▁anch ored ▁in ▁a ▁har bor ▁just ▁north ▁of ▁present - day ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁California , ▁and ▁claimed ▁the ▁territory ▁for ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁I . ▁To ▁preserve ▁an ▁une asy ▁peace ▁with ▁Spain ▁and ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁Spain ▁threaten ing ▁England ' s ▁claims ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁World , ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁I ▁ordered ▁Dra ke ' s ▁discovery ▁and ▁claim ▁kept ▁secret . ▁ ▁Russian ▁expl oration ▁▁ ▁However , ▁it ▁wasn ' t ▁until ▁ 1 7 4 1 ▁that ▁the ▁Spanish ▁mon archy ▁of ▁King ▁Philip ▁V ▁was ▁stim ulated ▁to ▁consider ▁how ▁to ▁protect ▁his ▁claims ▁to ▁Al ta ▁California . ▁Philip ▁was ▁sp ur red ▁on ▁when ▁the ▁territorial ▁amb itions ▁of ▁Ts ar ist ▁Russia ▁were ▁expressed ▁in ▁the ▁Vit us ▁Ber ing ▁expedition ▁along ▁the ▁western ▁coast ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁continent . ▁ ▁Spanish ▁expansion ▁▁ ▁California ▁represents ▁the ▁" high - water ▁mark " ▁of ▁Spanish ▁expansion ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁as ▁the ▁last ▁and ▁northern