CALIFORNIA: A HISTORY

Brandon Richards

Map from 1650 (restored) depicting California

Ch. 1Queen Calafia’s Island

Early history of California began as myth

Montalvo’s Las Sergas de Esplandian chronicled a race

of black Amazons – Californians – under the control of

Queen Calafia

The Californians rode griffins and fought with golden

weapons; the area, itself, abound in precious stones and

gold

By the end of the story, Calafia, and the

Californians, had become Christians; the Queen married

a lieutenant and had further adventures

–

While California appears quiet and serene from above, below it is a brewing

of activity of clashing tectonic plates – which helped to give California the

shape of its terrain

Josiah Royce observed no lack of subtlety in California’s landscape: they

proclaim a bold and heroic arrangement

California houses 4 key ports: San Diego, San Francisco, Monterey, and

Humboldt; the San Fran. harbor is considered amongst the top naturally

formed harbors

The dropping and rising of mountain ranges gives with it stark contrasts of

the horizon

More than 25 generations of Native Americans have made their history in

California

In 1492, with initial European contact with the U.S., an estimated 1/3 –

more than 300,000 – Native Americans were living within the boundaries of

what is now California

Many, many tribes inhabited the state:

Yuki, Tolowa, Karok, Hoopa, Pomo, Maidu – and many more.

With this abundance of people, many linguistic/cultural features dot the

state

Ch. 10 O Brave New World!

California has been a hub of technology for decades

Aviation technology was perfected in CA not long after its introduction; by

the 30s, we were leading the way in atom-smashing; by the 50s, we helped

to usher in digital technology via semiconductor breakthroughs

At the top, CA reigns in Bio-Technology

California has always been friendly and open to the pursuit of a truth or

idea

Ingenuity has been abound in California before, and following, the

establishing of universities: the Pelton turbine – invented by Lester

Pelton – helped to change waterwheel technology; Joseph

Neri, after experimenting with electrical arc lighting, introduced

electrical arc lights/reflectors on the Centennial July 4th, 1876 –

demonstrating, for the first time in the world, public illumination via

electricity; John Montgomery pioneered heavier-than-air flight, and

was the first to ever record a flight: traveling a 600-foot distance at a

15-foot altitude; George Davidson, James, Lick, Richard Samuel

Floyd, and George Ellery Hale helped to pioneer large-lens

observatories; Lee de Forest, and Edwin Howard Armstrong

pioneered amplifiers/oscillators to help broadcast music and voices;

and many more inventions by many others

One of the largest contributions technology-wise from California was from

the Intel company, specifically Ted Hoff, who invented a processor chip that

allowed programmed intelligence through software

Hoff’s microprocessor was 1/16th of an inch long and had the calculating

power of the ENIAC computer of 1945, which had to be housed across an

expanse of 3,000-cubic ft.

With this breakthrough of processing power/ability, people such as Steve

Jobs and Steve Wozniak, would help to lead the way to the mass market of

personal computers

Ch. 12 Ecumenopolis

Diversity has always been a large part of California’s history

Native Americans and Mexicans were a primary force in the state;

however, later, Spanish found its way in – people would claim to be

“Spaniards,” but, only in reference to the crown

The arrival of English, French, and Russian settlers helped the diversity

flourish even more; the Gold Rush, also, brought with it a plethora of

diverse peoples; also, the immigration of people from China, Japan, and

Korea was, of course, mainly into California

As diversity increases, so, too, does discrimination

The Spanish were not too privy to the Natives when they arrived; in the late 19th

century, growing anti-Chinese sentiment grew: crusades such as “Chinese Must Go”; anti-Japanese sentiment was also voiced in the vein of a “White California” – looking back, it now seems funny that these movement grew in San Francisco

By the early 20th century, San Fran had the highest proportion of foreign-born residents relative to population than any other state

Besides the anti-Asian movements in the 19th century, the largest discriminatory campaigns/events/what-have-you was standard white and black division

Two major examples: Watts Riot (1965) and LA Riots (1995)

The current problem facing California is that of illegal immigrants

With it, of course, comes vast anti-illegal sentiment

One issue faced – and still faced – is the debate regarding the inclusion –

rather, catering to – Spanish-only teaching; however, the de facto language

of California is English, and many consider it necessary for anyone entering

and wishing to stay

Allegiances to past culture should be somewhat shelved if one is to

become a citizen; when one identifies as a citizen of California – and the

U.S. – it shall be the prevalent identity if an immigrant is to become a part

of the culture