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California History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, California
was inhabited by many distinct
groups of Native Americans.
The Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo reached
San Diego Bay in 1542,
and claimed the area for
Spain. From 1565, Spanish traders are known to have
made visits to the area, and the English explorer, Sir Francis Drake visited the region in 1579.
Spain began to colonize the territory beginning in 1769, with the establishment
of fortresses (presidios) and missions.
When
Mexico became independent from Spain as a result of
the Mexican War of Independence (1810 to 1821), the territory became part
of Mexico.
Following a brief revolt by US settlers (the Bear Revolt - from which California
gets its
flag) in 1846, California first became
an independent republic, and then soon after was annexed by the United States.
In 1849, gold was discovered in the region, a huge number of immigrants
arrived. California was admitted as the 31st state of the Union on
September 9th,
1850. Following the establishment of transcontinental railroads and highways,
migration to California continued and accelerated,
a pattern that has to the present day, making the state into the most populous in the Union.
California played a relatively minor role
in the American Civil War (1861 to 1865). While it is true that the state was home
to some Confederate sympathizers, they were not allowed to organize and their newspapers
were closed, and hence the state remained peaceful. The main involvement of California
during the war, was that California Column, a force of 2,000 Union volunteers who marched
across
New Mexico and
Arizona (at that time both part of the New Mexico Territory)
into western Texas, engaged in some skirmishes with the Confederates,
and spent most of the war fighting Apaches.
In the 20th century, California continued to grow both in
population and economic important. When oil was discovered in southern
California it was, for a time, the most important industry in the state.
California also became an important center of movie-making and
the entertainment industry more generally. During World War II, the state produced massive amounts of
armaments for the Allied war effort. In more recent years, California
became a key location in the new computer and high technology industries.
Related Links Here are some other websites that may be of interest:
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By Kevin Starr
Starr, Kevin Released: 2007-03-13 Paperback (416 pages)
 | List Price: $18.00* Lowest New Price: $10.47* Lowest Used Price: $1.90* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: “A California classic . . . California, it should be remembered, was very much the wild west, having to wait until 1850 before it could force its way into statehood. so what tamed it? Mr. Starr’s answer is a combination of great men, great ideas and great projects.”—The Economist
From the age of exploration to the age of Arnold, the Golden State’s premier historian distills the entire sweep of California’s history into one splendid volume. Kevin Starr covers it all: Spain’s conquest of the native peoples of California in the early sixteenth century and the chain of missions that helped that country exert control over the upper part of the territory; the discovery of gold in January 1848; the incredible wealth of the Big Four railroad tycoons; the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906; the emergence of Hollywood as the world’s entertainment capital and of Silicon Valley as the center of high-tech research and development; the role of labor, both organized and migrant, in key industries from agriculture to aerospace. In a rapid-fire epic of discovery, innovation, catastrophe, and triumph, Starr gathers together everything that is most important, most fascinating, and most revealing about our greatest state.
Praise for California
“[A] fast-paced and wide-ranging history . . . [Starr] accomplishes the feat with skill, grace and verve.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review
“Kevin Starr is one of california’s greatest historians, and California is an invaluable contribution to our state’s record and lore.”—MarIa ShrIver, journalist and former First Lady of California
“A breeze to read.”—San Francisco
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By Derek Hayes
University of California Press Hardcover (256 pages)
 | List Price: $45.00* Lowest New Price: $22.14* Lowest Used Price: $12.00* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | - University of California Press
Product Description:
Using nearly five hundred historical maps and many other illustrations―from rough sketches drawn in the field to commercial maps to beautifully rendered works of art―this lavishly illustrated volume is the first to tell the story of California's past from a unique visual perspective. Covering five hundred years of history, it offers a compelling and informative look at the transformation of the state from before European contact through the Gold Rush and up to the present. The maps are accompanied by a concise, engaging narrative and by extended captions that elucidate the stories and personalities behind their creation. At once a valuable reference and an exhilarating adventure through history, the Historical Atlas of California, featuring many rare and unusual maps, will be a treasured addition to any library. Distilling an enormous amount of information into one volume, it presents a fascinating chronicle of how California came to be what it is today.
Copub: Douglas & McIntyre |
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By Mark Arax
Knopf Released: 2019-05-21 Hardcover (576 pages)
 | List Price: $30.00* Lowest New Price: $19.97* Lowest Used Price: $19.62* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: "[An] exhaustive, deeply reported account . . . Few other journalists could have written a book as personal and authoritative . . . As Arax makes plain in this important book, it's been the same story in California for almost two centuries now: When it comes to water, 'the resource is finite. The greed isn't.'" --Gary Krist, The New York Times Book Review
A vivid, searching journey into California's capture of water and soil--the epic story of a people's defiance of nature and the wonders, and ruin, it has wrought
Mark Arax is from a family of Central Valley farmers, a writer with deep ties to the land who has watched the battles over water intensify even as California lurches from drought to flood and back again. In The Dreamt Land, he travels the state to explore the one-of-a-kind distribution system, built in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, that is straining to keep up with California's relentless growth.
This is a heartfelt, beautifully written book about the land and the people who have worked it--from gold miners to wheat ranchers to small fruit farmers and today's Big Ag. Since the beginning, Californians have redirected rivers, drilled ever-deeper wells and built higher dams, pushing the water supply past its limit.
The Dreamt Land weaves reportage, history and memoir to confront the "Golden State" myth in riveting fashion. No other chronicler of the West has so deeply delved into the empires of agriculture that drink so much of the water. The nation's biggest farmers--the nut king, grape king and citrus queen--tell their story here for the first time. This is a tale of politics and hubris in the arid West, of imported workers left behind in the sun and the fatigued earth that is made to give more even while it keeps sinking. But when drought turns to flood once again, all is forgotten as the farmers plant more nuts and the developers build more houses.
Arax, the native son, is persistent and tough as he treks from desert to delta, mountain to valley. What he finds is hard earned, awe-inspiring, tragic and revelatory. In the end, his compassion for the land becomes an elegy to the dream that created California and now threatens to undo it. |
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By Bill O'Neill
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform Paperback (182 pages)
 | List Price: $19.95* Lowest New Price: $18.53* Lowest Used Price: $9.55* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: Are you interested in learning more about California? Sure, you've heard of Hollywood, but how much do you really know about the Golden State? Do you know how it got its nickname or what it was nicknamed first? There's so much to know about California that even people born in the state don't know it all. In this trivia book, you'll learn more about California's history, pop culture, folklore, sports, and so much more!
In The Great Book of California, you'll discover the answers to the following questions
- Why is California called the Golden State?
- What music genres started out in California?
- Which celebrity sex icon's death remains a mystery?
- Which serial killer once murdered in the state?
- Which childhood toy started out in California?
- Which famous fast-food chain opened its first location in the Golden State?
- Which famous athletes are from California?
Whether you consider yourself a California state expert or you know nothing about the Golden State, you're bound to learn something new in each chapter. You'll be able to impress your college history professor or your friends during your next trivia night!
What are you waiting for? Get started to learn all there is to know about California!
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By Stephen H. Provost
CRAVEN STREET Released: 2017-09-15 Paperback (270 pages)
 | List Price: $20.95* Lowest New Price: $14.05* Lowest Used Price: $11.49* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: Before it was a modern freeway, California’s State Highway 99 was “the main street of California,” a simple two-lane road that passed through the downtowns of every city between the Mexican border and the Oregon state line. Highway 99: The History of California’s Main Street turns back the clock to those days when a narrow ribbon of asphalt tied the state’s communities together, with classic roadside attractions and plenty of fun along the way.
Highway 99 documents the birth, growth, and transformation of the highway; the gas stations, motels, restaurants, and attractions that flourished and declined by the roadside; and the communities, personalities, and historical events that made their mark on the highway. From the migrations of the Dust Bowl to the birth of the Bakersfield Sound to the foundation of America’s fast-food culture, the history of California has happened around Highway 99, and Highway 99: The History of California’s Main Street brilliantly depicts that history. |
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By H. W. Brands
Basic Books Released: 2019-10-22 Hardcover (544 pages)
 | List Price: $32.00* Lowest New Price: $22.14* Lowest Used Price: $21.42* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: "Epic in its scale, fearless in its scope" (Hampton Sides), this balanced, authoritative, and masterfully told account of the American West from a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist sets a new standard as it sweeps from the California Gold Rush to the Texas Revolution and beyond.
In Dreams of El Dorado, H. W. Brands tells the thrilling, panoramic story of the settling of the American West. He takes us from John Jacob Astor's fur trading outpost in Oregon to the Texas Revolution, from the California gold rush to the Oklahoma land rush. He shows how the migrants' dreams drove them to feats of courage and perseverance that put their stay-at-home cousins to shame-and how those same dreams also drove them to outrageous acts of violence against indigenous peoples and one another. The West was where riches would reward the miner's persistence, the cattleman's courage, the railroad man's enterprise; but El Dorado was at least as elusive in the West as it ever was in the East.
Balanced, authoritative, and masterfully told, Dreams of El Dorado sets a new standard for histories of the American West. |
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By Katy S. Duffield
Chicago Review Press Paperback (144 pages)
 | List Price: $16.95* Lowest New Price: $1.99* Lowest Used Price: $3.38* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | - Used Book in Good Condition
Product Description:
The story of California is the story of dreamers—explorers, gold miners, immigrants, ranchers, moviemakers, farmers, and everyday Americans who headed west for a fresh start. The first native inhabitants arrived 9,000 years ago, ancestors of the tribes who would greet the Spanish in the 1700s. Father Junípero Serra later established a chain of missions along the coast, expanding European and Mexican influence. But when gold was discovered in 1848, the rush was on, and two short years later California became a state. After the gold ran out, other rushes followed, from agriculture to industry, Hollywood to Silicon Valley. California History for Kids includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and Web resources for further study. And to get a better idea of the scope of California history and the lives of its citizens, readers can: * create a Chumash rock painting * play the Miwok Hoop-and-Pole game * bake and eat hardtack like a gold miner * design a cattle brand * decode a railroad cipher * immortalize their handprints in plaster * assemble an earthquake preparedness kit * and more Author Katy Duffield tells the rich story of the men and women who, despite challenges and occasional hardships, settled and built the vibrant cities and bountiful farms, ranches, and orchards of the Golden State. |
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By Benjamin Madley
YALE Released: 2017-06-27 Paperback (520 pages)
 | List Price: $22.00* Lowest New Price: $5.48* Lowest Used Price: $14.34* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description:
The first full account of the government-sanctioned genocide of California Indians under United States rule
Between 1846 and 1873, California’s Indian population plunged from perhaps 150,000 to 30,000. Benjamin Madley is the first historian to uncover the full extent of the slaughter, the involvement of state and federal officials, the taxpayer dollars that supported the violence, indigenous resistance, who did the killing, and why the killings ended. This deeply researched book is a comprehensive and chilling history of an American genocide. Madley describes pre-contact California and precursors to the genocide before explaining how the Gold Rush stirred vigilante violence against California Indians. He narrates the rise of a state-sanctioned killing machine and the broad societal, judicial, and political support for genocide. Many participated: vigilantes, volunteer state militiamen, U.S. Army soldiers, U.S. congressmen, California governors, and others. The state and federal governments spent at least $1,700,000 on campaigns against California Indians. Besides evaluating government officials’ culpability, Madley considers why the slaughter constituted genocide and how other possible genocides within and beyond the Americas might be investigated using the methods presented in this groundbreaking book. |
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By Thomas J. Osborne
Wiley-Blackwell Paperback (434 pages)
 | List Price: $48.95* Lowest New Price: $35.56* Lowest Used Price: $34.38* Usually ships in 1-2 business days* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: Osborne's work is the first history text to explore the sweep of California's past in relationship to its connections within the maritime world of the Pacific Basin. - Presents a provocative and original interpretation of the entire span of California history
- Reveals how the area's Pacific Basin connections have shaped the Golden State's past
- Refutes the widely held notion among historians that California was isolated before the onset of the American period in the mid-1800s
- Represents the first text to draw on anthropologist Jon Erlandson's findings that California's first human inhabitants were likely prehistoric Asian seafarers who navigated the Pacific Rim coastline
- Includes instructor resources in an online companion site: www.wiley.com/go/osborne
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By Ronald Isetti
Outskirts Press Paperback (578 pages)
 | List Price: $25.95* Lowest New Price: $21.36* Lowest Used Price: $23.50* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 05:06 Pacific 22 Nov 2019 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description:
Competing Voices: A Critical History of Stockton, California, is the story of a city with an incredibly rich and diverse history. For too long, Stockton has suffered from bad press. Its recent history has been marred by negative headlines, and its last general history was published way back in 1880. But in author Ronald Isetti's hands, Stockton is given its due as a major player in California and American history. The city was integral to American victories during World Wars I and II, and for the many major motion pictures filmed in Stockton, it has been nicknamed "Hollywood North." It produced a leading female titan of industry, the famous Tomato Queen, Tillie Lewis, and has elected the youngest mayor of a large city in the United States, African American Michael Tubbs. Isetti is a native of Stockton and earned his PhD in history from the University of California, Berkeley. In Competing Voices, he combines academic standards with popular appeal, offering a bottom-up perspective of Stockton history, considering ordinary citizens who did extraordinary things and covering minority groups often ignored in the past. |
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