CaliforniaBy: Lauren Byrum

Striking It Rich

• Alcalde form of government for the California territory

• This was formed because congress would not give any territorial status to California and in turn gave them no governing system

• The Alcalde government a mixture of military rule and a governing system highly influenced by Mexico

• This system is viewed as a hybrid of Mexican and American culture

The Gold Rush

• Gold was first discovered at Sutter’s Fort by James Wilson Marshall

• Three years after the gold rush had begun the population of non native people living in California jumped from less than ten thousand to more than 255,000.

• The gold rush is what brought people to California and their lack of money when they were not successful is probably what kept them there

• Although it was positive in getting man power behind the people who wanted to make California into a legal state; the gold rush created rampant crime and murder and was more or less unsuccessful for most people.

Politics

• General Bennett Riley ordered a legal document to be put in place that would declare California founding itself.

• Called for the people to elect 37 delegates to the Constitutional Convention

• They decided that California would enter the union as a free state and this decision was argued over by Congress when they finally took notice

• On October 12, 1849 California became the 31st state of the Union

• Created a seal • Eureka: We have found it

An Imagined Place

• Photography In California was much like what life was envisioned to be like there: dreamy.

• There began to be a new type of photography that focused on achieving a certain look rather than taking a scene directly for what it is at the time

• Ansel Adams (landscape photographer) followed this trend

• Adams would envision what he wanted and then wait for hours or longer until he knew it was right

Music

• The music that was listened to in California reflected the liberal state of mind that many Californians had; it was flamboyant compared to the conservative music that had been listened to before

• As movies began to be played with music composers of these types of music found a whole new job field and opportunities

• As people migrated from the country side during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression the music in California became heavily influenced by country music

Painting

• Previously painters had focused on painting extremely accurate and often dull far away landscapes

• The “Society of Six” decided to change this style

• They stuck with landscape painting but began to go closer up and examine the details of it

• They used a whole new realm of bright and beautiful colors

• They focused on the bright beauty of what was seen close up

O Brave New World

• For some time California had been interested in the beauty of nature as well as the science of it

• The Yosemite Valley became a big symbol in the eyes of the people of the physical grandeur of California as well as the geological aspects that resided within it

• In an effort to keep such a pristine part of California protected and basically untouched; Frederick Law Olmstead lobbied a bill through Congress that ordered that the state put aside a huge tract of land that included the Yosemite Valley as well as other Sierra land.

• Yosemite National Park became a huge tourist attraction and it still is today

• Through their love of nature and their respect for the science of it California was able to preserve an area of land that was a perfect example of California’s beautiful landscape when left untouched by man.

Aviation

• First successful flight was preformed in California by a man named Montgomery

• He glided for 600 feet and then safely landed

• This gave more motivation to the people of California who were already extremely focused on reaching new scientific planes within the state

• It was clear early on that California was scientifically advanced and wanted to utilize this science to create a better world.

Science to Create Perfection

• The people of California were collectively as a whole interested in scientific advancement

• They wanted to use science to be able to better their world and make it a better place for everyone as a whole

• In general, they wanted to create a state that was a utopia for all different types of people