History 445
This section of the class focuses on the growth and development of California from the end of the Gold Rush to World War II. This was a period of profound change in the state as Southern California increased its power and influence both in the state and nationally. It was a time when California continued to draw people who wished to fulfill their dreams. Yet, it was also an era of significant political and social conflict which at times tarnished the image and luster of the Golden State.
Again, here’s a reminder of the course’s major themes. Please consider them when preparing for your exam.
1) Land of opportunity / CA Dreams
2) Racial and ethnic diversity
3) Relationship between CA and the nation
4) Water/environment
1) Consider efforts of Californians to create an identity for the state following the end of the Gold Rush era. How did Huntington, Henry George, and John Muir offer different visions of California? Also, examine the different images (semitropics, Mediterranean, and citrus culture) of Southern California that were promoted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. What do they say about how some viewed California and how successful were they? How did Southern CA change in this period?
2) What was the impact of the railroad’s completion on the state’s economy, politics, and social relations? Be sure to explain why the Southern Pacific generated such opposition and hostility and provide specific examples of this.
3) Discuss the emergence of the Progressive period in response to the impact of industrial capitalism by early 1900s. Consider role of Southern Pacific RR in generating reform impulses, labor and politics in SF and LA, gender and women’s growing public role, and alternative responses offered by utopian colonies. What did the major groups (middle-class progressives, workers, women, utopians) seek or desire and how successful were they? What factors help explain the differing experiences of SF and LA during this period.
4) Explain the nature of rural California in the early 20th century? What kind of society existed and what factors shaped its historical development? How did water access contribute to the rise of the Imperial Valley? How did some attempt to create a different kind of rural society and culture? Trace the changing composition of rural farm labor from the late 19th century to the 1920s.
5) Explain the political and social struggles over water for both SF and LA/Southern California. What factors helped make or define LA as a city? Why did Hollywood become center of new film industry and what impact did it have on CA and the nation? Be sure to consider the Ross reading.
6) How did the depression affect CA economically, politically, and socially? What solutions did some Californians offer and what was the impact of these on state and national politics? How did depression affect the state’s workers—urban and rural? What factors explain the Okie migration and the response to them? How did the depression affect race relations and the experiences of people of color in CA?