Santa Cruz, California is a city north of Monterey Bay. Santa Cruz is about 100 miles (60 km) south of San Francisco. Santa Cruz was first settled by Ohlone Indians, Native American hunter-gatherers. Santa Cruz was colonized in the mid-1700s by the Spanish. They created a mission, (Mission Santa Cruz). The Spanish forced the Ohlones in the mission. Their populations began to decline because of diseases and overworking.