<P> Spain made about 30 of these large grants, nearly all several square leagues (1 Spanish league = 2.6 miles (4.2 km)) each in size . The total land granted to settlers in the Spanish colonial era was about 800,000 acres (3,237 km) or about 35,000 acres (142 km) each . The few owners of these large ranchos patterned themselves after the landed gentry in Spain and were devoted to keeping themselves living in a grand style . The rest of the population they expected to support them . Their mostly unpaid workers were nearly all Spanish trained Indians or peons that had learned how to ride horses and raise some crops . The majority of the ranch hands were paid with room and board, rough clothing, rough housing and no salary . </P> <P> The main products of these ranchos were cattle, horses and sheep, most of which lived virtually wild . The cattle were mostly killed for fresh meat, as well as hides and tallow (fat) which could be traded or sold for money or goods . As the cattle herds increased there came a time when nearly everything that could be made of leather was--doors, window coverings, stools, chaps, leggings, vests lariats (riata) s, saddles, boots etc . Since there was no refrigeration then, often a cow was killed for the day's fresh meat and the hide and tallow salvaged for sale later . After taking the cattle's hide and tallow their carcasses were left to rot or feed the California grizzly bears which roamed wild in California at that time, or to feed the packs of dogs that typically lived at each rancho . </P> <P> A series of four presidios, or "royal forts", each manned by 10 to 100 men, were built by Spain in Alta California . California installations were established in San Diego (El Presidio Real de San Diego) founded in 1769, in San Francisco (El Presidio Real de San Francisco) founded in 1776, and in Santa Barbara (El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara) founded in 1782 . After the Spanish colonial era the Presidio of Sonoma in Sonoma, California was founded in 1834 .) </P> <P> To support the presidios and the missions, half a dozen towns (called pueblos) were established in California . The pueblos of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Villa de Branciforte (later abandoned before later becoming Santa Cruz, California) and the pueblo of San Jose, California were all established to support the Missions and presidios in California . These were the only towns (pueblos) in California . </P>

California was added to the union as a result of what war