LOS ALTOS, CA (Aug 4, 2026) – Two pivotal stories unfolded during the American Revolution—one in Philadelphia, the other 3,000 miles away in Spanish California. Los Altos History Museum explores these parallel events and their lasting impact on Native Peoples in the program “Junipero Serra and 1776: The West and East Coasts,” on Wednesday, Aug 19, from 5:30-7 p.m.
Santa Clara University professors Robert Senkewicz and Rose Marie Beebe will compare the British and Spanish colonial systems that emerged on opposite coasts and examine how they shaped the continent’s history.
On June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson presented an important draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The following day, Junipero Serra founded Mission Dolores in what would become San Francisco. These nearly simultaneous events illustrate two very different approaches to European colonization in North America.
The presentation will examine how the British colonies, established through a mix of religious and commercial ventures, differed from Spanish California’s network of missions, presidios, and pueblos, where religious and civil authorities often competed for power. It will also explore how these contrasting systems affected Native Peoples and influenced the future development of the United States.
This program ties to the Museum’s current exhibition, The Spirit of ’76: Reflecting on America’s Bicentennial, on display through November 8.
About the Speakers
Robert Senkewicz, Professor of History at Santa Clara University, and Rose Marie Beebe, Professor of Spanish Literature, are the translators, editors, and annotators of many volumes, including Testimonios: Early California through the Eyes of Women: 1815-1848 (2006) and The History of Alta California by Antonio María Osio (1996), which received the Norman Neuerburg Award from the Historical Society of Southern California. They have also authored Junípero Serra: California, Indians, and the Transformation of a Missionary (University of Oklahoma Press, 2015). Both professors have received numerous teaching and scholarship awards at Santa Clara University, and awards from The Bancroft Library, the Historical Society of Southern California, the California Mission Studies Association, and the California Council for the Promotion of History.
Admission is $15 per person, and free to Museum members. Register at losaltoshistory.org/JuniperoSerra1776.
Los Altos History Museum began in 1977 with the opening of the historic J. Gilbert Smith House, built in 1905 on 14+ acres of apricot orchards planted by Mr. Smith. In 2001, Los Altos History Museum opened the modern building next door, which houses the Museum’s collections, permanent and changing exhibits, store and administrative offices. The Museum and its grounds are available for rent during evenings and weekends. Its collections are owned by the City of Los Altos and are managed by an independent nonprofit organization, whose staff and volunteers are responsible for all programs and operations.
The Museum is open Thursday through Sunday, from noon-4pm. Admission is free. Tours of the J. Gilbert Smith House are available during open hours. The outdoor agricultural exhibit, gardens and picnic area are accessible beyond Museum hours. For more information, visit: losaltoshistory.org, email hello@losaltoshistory.org, or phone 650.948.9427 x14.
Media Contact: Marketing@losaltoshistory.org
Los Altos History Museum: Diane Holcomb, 650.948.9427 x14, dholcomb@losaltoshistory.org
