Chapter 3 in the reader focuses on the Gold Rush and provides some insight into both the promise of the Gold Rush for some individuals and the negation of that promise to others. What emerges is a picture of an increasingly diverse population, creating conflict that continues into the 20th century. Chapter 4 provides additional insight into how Californians debated who was to be included in the citizenship of the new state. The abuses of power during the Gilded Age produced social and political unrest which, in turn, created anxiety among native-born white Americans. More important, this turmoil often involved immigrant populations that were seen as a threat to ‘American values.’ Specifically threatening were people of color and generally people who were not quite “American,” at the time defined as ‘white Anglo-Saxon Protestant’ (WASP). Only white people, and, after 1870, people of African descent could become naturalized citizens, according to law.
As you read the primary sources and compose your question post, consider the study questions offered at the end of each chapter of the reader. The overall goal is to consider the racial and ethnic phobias of the time period and also relate them to our views of ethnicity and race in today’s California. What do the documents suggest about Californians and their concerns about peoples of color? Do you see similarities to more recent discussions of race and ethnicity in the state? Differences? And what do these similarities and differences suggest about Californians today? To what extent are debates about immigration also debates about our identity as Californians?
Ask your big question (place it on top of the page in bold);
