COMPETING VISIONS
A History of California
Second Edition
Robert W. Cherny
San Francisco State University
Gretchen Lemke-Santangelo
Saint Mary’s College of California
Richard Griswold del Castillo
San Diego State University
The text (including graphs, maps, and charts) of Competing Visions: a History of California, by Robert W. Cherny, Gretchen Lemke-Santangelo, and Richard Griswold del Castillo is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA. All photographs and artistic renderings in the text are licensed under CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-SA, or CC BY-NC-SA, or are in the public domain and free of any known restrictions/permissions. The cover image, “Coit Tower Mural” by artist Ralph Stackpole, is licensed under CC BY 2.0. by Ed Bierman. The authors wish to thank Margaret Copeland of Terragrafix.com for preparing the digital version of the text, including the design of its charts, maps, and tables, and the Saint Mary’s College Filippi Fund and Office of Faculty Development for their financial support of this project.
Contents
Preface xiii
1 California’s Origins: The Land and the People,
Before Spanish Settlement 1
Diversity: Origins of California and Its Native Peoples 3
Cycles of Life: The Food Quest, Spirituality, and Rituals 10
The Food Quest 10
Spirituality 14
Rituals 16
A Closer Look: Six Regional Peoples 19
The Gabrielino/Tongva 19
The Chumash 21
The Costanoans 22
The Miwoks and Yokuts 24
The Shastans 25
Significance: The Importance of California Natives and Other North American
Native Peoples in Non-Indian History 26
Summary 28
2 The Spanish Colonization of California,
1769–1821 31
The Spanish Conquest and Empire 34
Spain’s Exploration of the Californias 35
Early Maritime Exploration and Encounters 38
The First California Colony 39
Demographic and Ethnic Growth of California 41
The Missions 42
Neophyte Resistance 46
Evaluation of the California Missions 48
Establishing Presidios and Pueblos 50
Gender Relations in Spanish California 53
Spanish Californian Culture 56
v
Political Developments in Spanish California 57
The Wars of Independence in New Spain 59
Foreign Interest in Spanish California 60
Summary 62
3 Mexican Californios: Conflict and Culture,
1821–1846 65
A New Political Order 68
Early Self-Government: Solá and Argüello 68
The Governorship of José María Echeandía 69
Rebellion Against Centralism: Governor Victoria 70
Secularization of the Missions: José Figueroa 72
Rebellion, Revolution, and Home Rule 74
Micheltorena and the Catesby Jones Affair 76
The Rise of the Ranchos 78
Environmental Changes 81
Social Relations in Mexican California 82
The Growth of Town Governments 82
Californianas: Mexican Californian Women 83
Mexican–Indian Relations 85
Immigrants and Foreigners 87
California and the World 93
Summary 94
4 War, Conquest, and Gold: The American Era
Begins, 1845–1855 96
The War Between the United States and Mexico 99
Manifest Destiny 100
Frémont and the Bear Flaggers 101
Occupation and Resistance 103
California Indians and the War 106
Peace 107
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 107
The Divided Mind of the Californios 109
The Gold Rush 110
Gold! The Discovery of 1848 110
The Argonauts 113
Camp Life 117
Nativism and Racism 120
The Legendary Life of Joaquín Murrieta 121
vi Contents
California Transformed 122
Conquest of the Californios 122
Conquest of the Indians 123
Economic Transformation 124
The Golden State 124
Summary 126
5 California and the Crisis of the Union,
1850–1870 129
Crisis and Conflict in the 1850s 132
California Statehood and the Compromise of 1850 132
San Francisco’s Crisis of Political Legitimacy: Vigilantism in the 1850s 133
Violence and Displacement: California Indians in the 1850s 136
The Politics of Land and Culture 138
Californians and the Crisis of the Union 141
Fighting Slavery in California 141
Sectional Issues and California Politics 143
California and Civil War 146
Reconstruction and New Understandings of Citizenship 147
Economic Growth in a Time of National Crisis 148
The Transformation of Mining 148
Economic Diversification 149
Transportation 151
Tying Together the Union With Iron 152
New Social and Cultural Patterns 155
Gender Roles and New Social Institutions 155
The Growth of Religious Toleration 157
Writing the Gold Rush 160
Summary 161
6 California in the Gilded Age, 1870–1900 164
The Economic Transformation of California and the West 167
Railroad Expansion 168
Mining and Finance 171
Agriculture 172
Water 174
Rise of Organized Labor 176
San Francisco: Metropolis of the West 177
Contents vii
New Social Patterns 180
Education 180
Changing Gender Roles 181
California Indians 183
Changing Patterns of Ethnicity 184
Politics 188
Political Discontent in the 1870s 189
The Second Constitutional Convention, 1878 191
Politics in the 1880s 192
Political Realignment in the 1890s 193
California and the World: War With Spain and Acquisition of the Philippines 195
Cultural Expression 196
Summary 197
7 California in the Progressive Era, 1895–1920 200
The Origins of California Progressivism 203
The Many Shapes of Progressivism 204
Municipal Reform: Los Angeles 204
Municipal Reform: San Francisco 205
Organized Labor in the Progressive Era 207
Efforts to Reform State Government Before 1910 209
Social and Economic Change in the Progressive Era 210
Immigration and Ethnic Relations 210
Economic Changes 214
Earthquake and Fire in 1906 216
Water Wars 218
California in the World Economy 221
California Progressivism, 1910–1920 222
Hiram Johnson and the Victory of the Progressives, 1910–1911 222
California Progressives and the Presidential Election of 1912 224
Radicals in a Progressive Era 225
A Second Flood of Reform, 1913 227
The Progressive Tide Recedes, 1914–1920 229
Californians in a World of Revolutions and War 229
Californians and the Mexican Revolution 230
War in Europe and Conflict at Home 230
Californians Go to War 231
Peace and the Backwash of War 232
The Meaning of Progressivism for Californians 233
Summary 234
viii Contents
8 California Between the Wars, 1919–1941 237
The Rise of Los Angeles: Twentieth-Century Metropolis 241
The Economic Basis for Growth 241
The Automobile and the Growth of Southern California 243
Prosperity Decade: The 1920s 245
Politics in a Time of Prosperity 245
New Economic Patterns 247
New Social Patterns 249
Cultural Expression 252
Depression Decade: The 1930s 254
Impact of the Great Depression 254
Labor Conflict 257
Federal Politics: The Impact of the New Deal 261
State Politics: The Rise of the Democrats 263
Cultural Expression During the Depression Decade 266
California on the Eve of War 268
Summary 269
9 World War II and the Great Transformation 273
Economic Expansion 276
Overview of the War’s Economic Impact 276
The Aircraft Industry 277
Shipbuilding 278
Agriculture 279
Other Industry 280
Japanese Relocation and Internment 282
The Unfolding Tragedy 282
Relocation and Internment 285
Population Growth and Diversity 289
Black Migration 290
New Challenges and Opportunities 294
Shifting Gender Relations 299
Daily Life and Culture 302
Wartime Challenges 302
Entertainment 302
Political Transformation 304
Change from the Grassroots 304
Change at the Top 305
Summary 307
Contents ix
10 Postwar California: Prosperity and Discontent
in the Golden State: 1946–1963 310
Unbridled Growth 312
Industrial Growth and Organized Labor 313
Education 316
Population and Suburban Growth 317
Transportation, Energy, Water Resources, and Environmental Pollution 319
Postwar Politics 324
California’s Red Scare 324
Warren and Knight 327
Edmund G. Brown 328
Liberalism at the Municipal Level 331
Social and Cultural Dissent 333
White Flight and Ghettoization 333
Poverty in the Barrios and Fields 335
Asian Pacific Immigration and Activism 339
Opportunities and Challenges for California Indians 340
Student Activism 341
Cultural Developments 343
Summary 345
11 Divided We Stand: Activism and Politics,
1964–1970 348
Seeds of Change 352
From Civil Rights to Civil Unrest 352
Black Power 356
The Grassroots War on Poverty 358
Justice in the Fields 360
The Anti-War Movement 363
The Counterculture 365
Coming Together at People’s Park 367
The Movement Expands 368
The Chicano Movement 368
Taking the Rock 372
Change and Activism Along the Pacific Rim 374
Emerging Feminist and Gay Rights Movements 376
Politics in the Age of Dissent 378
The Decline of Liberalism 378
Reagan as Governor 380
Summary 382
x Contents
12 Era of Limits and New Opportunities:
1970–1990 385
The Legacy of the ’60s 389
Feminism 390
Disability Rights 392
Gay Pride 393
Multiethnic Political Gains 395
Ethnicity and Economics 398
Cultural Advances 402
Economic Changes and Environmental Constraints 404
The Economy 404
Environmental Activism and Constraints 407
Politics in the Era of Limits 414
Edmund G. Brown Jr. 414
Deukmejian 418
Summary 420
13 California in Our Times 423
A New Kind of California 426
The Los Angeles Riots, the O.J. Simpson Trial, and After 426
The Rise of Latino California 428
The Ever-Changing Ethnic Mosaic 430
The Economic Roller Coaster 435
Cycles of Bust and Boom 436
Technology 438
Trade: Going Global 439
Growing Wealth, Increasing Poverty, Shrinking Middle Class 441
A Faltering Infrastructure 442
Education 443
Health Care and Housing 445
The Environment 446
Transportation 448
Energy 449
Politics in the New California 449
State Politics, 1990–1998: The Governorship of Pete Wilson 450
State Politics, 1998–2003: The Governorship of Gray Davis 452
State Politics, 2003–2008: The Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger 454
State Politics Since 2010: The Return of Jerry Brown 456
Religious and Cultural Diversity 458
Spirituality in Contemporary California 458
Contents xi
Cuisine 459
Art, Literature, Film, and Music 459
Competing Visions: The History and Future of California 463
Summary 464
Governors of California: 1767 to Present 467
Glossary of Spanish Terms 469
Index I-1
Image Links I-39
