San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 | Nationwide Archives
In Spanish
On the morning of April 18, 1906, a massive earthquake struck San Francisco, California. Although the quake lasted less than a minute, its immediate effects were catastrophic. The earthquake also sparked several fires around the city that burned for three days and destroyed nearly 500 city blocks.
Despite a quick response from San Francisco's large military population, the city was destroyed. The earthquake and fires killed an estimated 3,000 people and left half of the city's 400,000 residents homeless. Help arrived from across the country and around the world, but those who survived faced weeks of difficulty and hardship.
Survivors slept in tents in city parks and the Presidio, stood in long lines for food and had to cook on the streets to minimize the risk of further fires. The San Francisco earthquake is considered one of the worst natural disasters in US history.
Congress responded to the disaster in various ways. The House and Senate appropriations committees approved emergency aid for the city to pay for food, water, tents, blankets and medical supplies in the weeks after the earthquake and fire. They also provided funds for the reconstruction of many damaged or destroyed public buildings.
Other congressional responses included requiring the House Damages Committee to address claims from property owners seeking reimbursement for destroyed property. For example, the committee received complaints from the owners of several saloons and liquor stores whose stocks of alcoholic beverages were destroyed by police officers to minimize the spread of fires and the risk of mob violence. In the days following the earthquake, officials destroyed an estimated $30,000 worth of intoxicating liquor.
The Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds reports on damaged buildings in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose and estimates of repair costs. The Senate also passed a resolution requiring the Secretary of War to transmit to the Senate a copy of a report on the earthquake and fire. The U.S. Army's relief effort report and accompanying captions are now in the records of the Senate Printing Committee.
The following images are records from the U.S. Senate, National Archives from Records Group 46:
Similar resources:
1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire Documents about the aftermath of the earthquake from our archive in San Francisco.
When an American city is destroyed How the U.S. military became the “first responder” and assumed responsibility when an earthquake struck San Francisco a century ago.
Aftermath of the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 in the National Archives Catalog Photos and documents about the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake have been digitized and relate to the San Francisco earthquake and fire.
Hetch Hetchy environmental debates Between 1908 and 1913, Congress debated whether to make a water resource available or preserve a wilderness when the growing city of San Francisco, California, proposed building a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley to ensure a steady water supply. Located in Yosemite National Park, Hetch Hetchy Valley was protected by the federal government, leaving Congress to decide the valley's fate.
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