Table of Contents

1. The early history of California: what used to be here?

2. The arrival of the Spanish and the founding of Los Angeles: why did they show up and make it?

3. The American seizure of California: how’d that happen?

4. The Americanization of California: how did the US made Los Angeles a famously American city?

5. The future of Los Angeles: what is the future going to be like?

 

5. The future of Los Angeles: what is the future going to be like?

For the past decade, there has been an influx of immigration to America starting from international students trying to receive Western education to workers from Mexico trying to achieve the American Dream and escape the poverty that has strucken their home country. Even today, more than half of the kindergarteners in the Los Angeles Unified School district are Hispanics (The History of Mexicans in California). The issue of Hispanics residing in Los Angeles is in full controversy, and there are many debates regarding the future of all Hispanics. While some say that deporting Hispanics will solve the government’s leaking money for child support and welfare, others claim that if we give all illegal Hispanics citizenship our economy will see a boost that we have never seen before. However the fact remains that most of the Hispanics living in Los Angeles are hard working immigrants who are trying to make a living and survive, just like any of us.

Self-Taken Image in Downtown Los Angeles

4. The Americanization of California: how did the US made Los Angeles a famously American city?

The Gold Rush of California ultimately created Los Angeles. In 1848, word of California’s rich natural resources, particularly gold, was released by President Polk in his State of the Union message to Congress sparked the mass immigration of Chinese, Europeans, Native Americans, and Hawaiins to come settle in California. The trail of the gold rush started in San Francisco, leading up to Los Angeles. Even Mormons from Utah, farmers in Oregon, and native miners in Mexico and Chile came flocking to California to find gold and acquire the American Dream. These newcomers were nicknamed the “48ers” came to California in the number of close to 100,000. With the suddenly populated state of California, many people took advantage by offering services and housing to gold diggers looking to make money. This sudden rush of population eventually created what is of California today.

 

3. The American seizure of California: how’d that happen?

It is funny how the action of one person affects the history of mankind, or in this case for America. The infamous Battle of the Alamo of 1836 brought forth the ultimate conquest of California and nine other nearby states. In the Battle of the Alamo, Texans who claimed their loyalty to the United States died trying to protect the land that they found, but ended up being massacred by the Mexican army outnumbered. News of this battle eventually reached the citizens of the United States, causing a new form of patronization and a sense of unification once felt during the American Revolution. The Mexican Army surrended, and the Mexican War had ended peacefully (source).

Through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the United States gained control over California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.

 

2. The arrival of the Spanish and the founding of Los Angeles: why did they show up and make it?

The Spanish found of California through Hernan Cortez’s expedition to Mexico and Alta California during the mid 1530s. Due to the harsh weather conditions of making expeditions to California, Spain did not try to settle California until many years later. Junípero Serra eventually led the  Franciscan father for the religious movement of Catholicism by setting up multiple missions around California, particularly San Diego. Where these missionaries were established, many small towns and villages were formed.

Soon, many villages and towns were created into a big city where an alcalde (a mayor and judge in one person) ruled the city while backed up by a city council called a ayuntamiento (city council).

(Source)

 

1. The early history of California: what used to be here?

In 1832, Senator Daniel Webster said to Congress, “What can we ever hope to do with the western coast, a coast of three thousand miles, rockbound, cheerless, uninviting, and not a harbor on it? What use have we for such a country?” (Steen).
Contrary to how populated and lively California is today after the United States has gained control of California, California was first inhabited by the Native Americans before Mexico had taken over California. California consisted of nothing but roaming cows and horses. According to the official California Indian History website, California was inhabited by over 100 Indian tribes for a period of 14,000 years.

Because California’s geography consisted of rocky mountains, hard soil, and deserts along with droughts, it was inhabited by few people due do its harsh land conditions to farm agriculture and domesticate animals. However the Native Americans who lived in California were nicknamed “Diggers”, as they survived by picking roots and nuts from the ground (California History Collection).