While patriots fought against the British in the American Revolution 250 years ago on the East Coast, people in the San Diego region were on a parallel track of new beginnings and their own rebellion.

Local historian and University of San Diego professor David Miller told KPBS’s Amita Sharma recently that in some cases, both coasts were motivated by one key event: The French and Indian War.

Set the scene for me, David. It's 1775. The American Revolution has just started on the East Coast. What had happened recently in the San Diego region?

Miller: It was a few years before in 1769 that the Spanish first arrived in San Diego in a permanent way. They'd been here very briefly with Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. But 1769 is the first permanent Spanish settlement, above what is now Old To

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