Sacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California. The governor and legislature of California are in Sacramento. About 400,000 people live in Sacramento. About 1,700,000 live in and around Sacramento.
Sacramento comes from Spanish and Portuguese for holy rite. A sacrament is a religious act that gives people divine grace (being liked or favored by God.)
Sacramento was started in 1848 by John Sutter. It was a very important place during the California Gold Rush. The Gold Rush was the time after gold was found in California. Many people came to California to find gold. They did this to make money. During the Gold Rush, Sacramento was where the railroad ended. It was also where the Pony Express stopped.
Sacramento is near where the American River meets the Sacramento River. This was important when Sacramento was founded. It meant that ships could bring things to Sacramento from the Pacific Ocean. Sacramento was a railroad town. This made Sacramento a port town. This made it a very important place for business.