A Wild Journey Not Finished
It has been just about 165 years ago since California had its first convention consisting of 48 delegates in 1849. Thanks to the first convention, the government today is much like the one that was established 165 years ago. Throughout the course of the 165 years California had its first convention, lots of things have changed.
In the 1800’s, specifically 1860’s, something huge was set into motion. Thanks to the “big four” consisting of Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Charles Crocker and Mark Hopkins, these four men formed the Central Pacific Railroad in 1861 for the intention of building a rail line across the Sierra Nevada. The railroad was a huge idea that was going to set the world by storm. With a huge idea like this, there has to be a need for financing. According to Ken Debow, the U.S congress made massive land grants and long-term loans available, and not to mention, Leland Stanford had ran and successfully elected as governor of California as well. So Stanford used his office to secure other loans from state government for the railroad...
Railroads were America’s first big business and contributed a great deal towards advancing industrialization. Beginning in the early 1870's, railroad construction in the United States expanded substantially. Before the year 1871, approximately fourty-five thousand miles of track had been laid. Up until the 1900's another one-hundred and seventy thousand miles were added to the nation's growing railroad system. This growth came about due to the erection of transcontinental railroads. Railroads supplied cities and towns with food, fuel, materials, and access to markets. The railroad system made way for an economic prosperity. The railroad system helped to build the physical growth of cities and towns. It even became another means of communication. Most importantly, it helped to produce a second
The growth of the railroads would then lead to the improvement of the transportation networks. Moreover, it was obvious that the railroad system would be a large structural, engineering and financial feat and given Canada was not in the best position to afford such a system, “the promoters [of the railway, therefore] turned to Britain” and the United States for help in funding the railway system (including the Grand Trunk Railway and the Victoria Bridge). Given Canada’s economy was not strong enough to fund the entire railway system, they scrambled for capital to finance it and politicians also passed laws that guaranteed companies who invested in them would be funded.
the early American economy was described by littler, nearby markets, revolved around huge urban communities. The boundless extension of the railways in the late 1800s changed this, entwining the nation into one national business sector, in which merchandise could be transported available to be purchased the nation over. The railways likewise gave a gigantic force to financial development since they themselves gave such an enormous business sector to products steel and timber, for instance. In the late nineteenth century the railways spoke to the primary "enormous business." The railroad business was the biggest single boss of work in the U.S., and institutionalized America financially, socially, and socially.
By 1857 a concord coach was able to complete the fifty-mile run from Portland to Salem in a single day (Schwantes, 183). California Stage Company was one of the largest organizations of its kind in the United States, established direct and regular service between Portland and Sacramento in 1860 (Schwantes, 183). Wells, Fargo and Company of San Francisco utilized a far-flung network of stagecoach and freight lines in the 1860s and 1870s to serve mining regions in the interior Northwest (Schwantes, 183). Ben Holladay, the stagecoach king, laid the foundation for his transportation empire in 1862 when he gained control of stagecoach and freight wagon lines that extended from Salt Lake City to the booming mining camps and supply center of Boise City, Walla Walla, and Virginia City, Montana. Holladay sold h...
The Transcontinental Railroad was one of the most ambitious engineering projects, economic stimulants, and efficient methods of transportation in the early United States. If completed, the United States would be truly be united from east to west. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Transcontinental Railroad helped develop new opportunities for many aspects of American life.
Orsi, Richard J., and John F. Burns. Taming The Elephant: Politics, Government, And Law In Pioneer California. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. eBook (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
The idea came to life in 1845 when a woman by the name of Asa Whitney presented to congress a written plan that she hoped would be handed over to the federal government. Her goal was for the federal government to consider a plan that would include the building of a railroad that began near the Mississippi River and ended near the Pacific Ocean. At first look, funds were far too low, and a plan would need to come into place to collect funding. The federal government began receiving funds from the Oregon Boundary Dispute which was concluded in 1846, the discovery of gold in California in 1849, and a collection of western territories. In the Year 1853, the congress approved the idea with a collection of funds. They began to survey different possible routes.
The railroad played a major role in forging the history of many countries including the United States of America. The railroad began to bring people to places that before then where only accessed by weeks of dangerous travel over harsh and deadly terrain. The industrial revolution had ushered in a completely new era. The new era was one of mass production, supply and demand, and new requirements of industry. The growth of industry had created new demands for transit, trade, and more robust supply lines. The railroad boom across the U.S. had spread and proceeded to grow the economy quickly therefore, many people began using the rail roads just as quickly. The rail market continued to grow and by the 1860’s all major cities within the United States were connected by rail.
During the reconstruction of America after the Civil War, the government allocated land grants and premiums to encourage work on the railroads, which proved effective. However, such incentives led to a questionable quality of work. Land donations and loans offered to both companies would eventually become profitable with the addition of railroad tracks running through, and the la...
The most notable modern day use of in medias res can be found in Winston Groom’s 1994 film, Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump tells the story of a man’s epic journey, one that involves meeting historical figures and influencing the popular culture of the United States during the late 20th century. Forrest is completely unaware of his great significance due to his mental disability. Although this story is already interesting enough in itself, it begins in medias res in order to grab the attention of the audience. The film begins when Forrest Gump, who is sitting at a bus stop, decides to tell his life story to a woman seated next to him. Forrest has already lived his fascinating life by the
Before the Gold Rush of 1849, the initial people who lived in California were the Native Indians. California was the home to approximately 275,000 Native Californians, which included the Pomo, Chumash, Mojave, Karok, Yuma, Paitute, and Shoshone. Spain had decided to Colonize California, also known as the “Sacred Expedition,” which began in early 1769. This expedition was composed of two miniature ships carrying soldiers, missionaries, livestock, and supplies, known as the San Carlos and the San Antonio, while the other two groups traveled by land. Missionaries play a critical role in Californian history, for they had built the 21 missions along the coast of California and had converted the majority of Native Californians to Catholicism. As New Spain won its independence from Spain on September 1821, California, now part of the...
A little friendly competition has fueled America long before this generation. On July 1, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln brought the Transcontinental Railroad to life. Two unions: the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific were to battle to find out who could reach the middle of the United States of America the fastest while building a railroad that would connect the East Coast and the West Coast. The Union Pacific and the Central Pacific were both granted financial aid from the government to build the Transcontinental Railroad. Both the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific would have to overcome obstacles to make this vision a reality. Everyone knew that this railroad would aid America in travel and commerce. The construction of this railroad was one of the United States’ greatest accomplishments technologically and also proved that with determination and money, anything could be accomplished.
A gold fever was arising. It was the talk of the country in the mid 1800’s. Worth about $1,000 per ounce today, gold meant great wealth in the 1840’s and 50’s. The news of gold findings in California soon spread worldwide. Many people were quick to react hearing that gold had been founded in California. California was a place of chaos during the gold rush of 1849. A plot of land that went for $15 in 1847, was later sold for $40,000 after the discovery of gold(Heinrichs, 23). Cities formed and California’s economy increasingly grew. A railroad was built which connected California to other states farther east in the United States because flocks of people continued migrating with the hopes of wealth. The gold rush drew much needed attention to California making it a crucial event to decisions about California in the future. The gold rush of 1849 resulted in the rapid growth of California ultimately leading to statehood and westward expansion.
During the Gold Rush of 1848-1849, California began to experience a large wave of Chinese immigration to the United States. Stories of the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill drew thousands of Chinese immigrants into North America from various parts of Asia. These immigrants, who were primarily poor peasants, flooded the “Golden Hills” we know as California in pursuit of better economic opportunity. To fill in the needs of the increasingly widespread mining communities in the West, many Chinese immigrants ultimately became merchants, railroad workers, agricultural laborers, mining laborers, and factory workers. Throughout the Gold Rush, members of the Chinese labor force played significant roles in both the social and economic development of the American West, particularly with regards to the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
The two documents contain very general similarities. They both have a bicameral legislature, which means that they have two chambers or houses. They also both have a Bill of Rights which showcases the rights that the citizens have. Like the U.S. government, the Californian government also has a legislative, executive, and judicial branch where, in short, the legislative branch makes the laws, the executive branch carries out the laws, and the judicial branch interprets the laws, among other things. In order for both governments to run smoothly, California was influenced by the federal system of checks and balances, meaning that no single branch of government can become too powerful. In addition, the state governor has similar duties to the president such as serving as commander in chief of a militia and having the supreme executive power (Cal. Const. art. V, § 1&7). Although, within the similarities, many differences can be noted between the two documents, ranging from minor differences to major differences.