california: Please help me with these questions. What factors led to the destruction of California Indians during the Spanish colonial period? What factors led to the further destruction of California Indians during the Gold Rush and early statehood? What part did cultural disruption play in the destruction of California Indians?|||One reason is that the Spanish brought with them several diseases such as the flu that although were common and not life threathening for Europeans, the Indians' defense systems in their body were not used to such diseases because they never existed in North America. This lead to several of them dying from these diseases.|||Genocide (not disease) would be the main factor. There are still Native people in California. I have added a link to two of the Nations (south and north) so you can get the most accurate info possible next to going there yourself. Here's a link to for the Pomo people (north Cali) where they tell their own history http://www.drycreekrancheria.com/doc.asp鈥?/a> Here's a link to the Kumeyaay People (south Cali) where they tell their own history http://www.viejasbandofkumeyaay.org/html鈥?/a>