California History
Uploaded by janicebezanson on 25.09.2011
Transcript:
This presentation is about the history of the state of California, the 31st state admitted
to the Union. California became a state on September 9, 1850. It took its name from a
novel written by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo in 1510 called Las Serges de Esplandian. It
was a Spanish romance that was written about a mythical island which was described as an
earthly paradise. When Spanish explorers found California it was originally believed that
California was an island. The state flag was first flown on June 14, 1846. It was designed
by William Todd and then quickly sewn by a small group of American settlers whom had
forcibly taken the town of Sonoma away from Mexico. The flag was officially adopted as
the state flag in 1911. Peter Hardeman Burnett was California's first governor, serving from
December 1849 to January 1851, when he resigned from office leaving a mixed legacy. His racist
attitudes towards Blacks, Chinese, and Native Americans have tarnished his mark left in
history. There have been 38 governors since Peter Burnett. The current Governor, Jerry
Brown, was California's 34th and 39th governor. He was born April 7, 1938. Governor Brown
was born in San Francisco, California and studied law at Yale. He is known as a fiscal
conservative and strongly opposes the death penalty. Governor Brown is married to Anne
Gust and they live in Oakland Hills. Since 1968, California's official nickname has been
"The Golden State." California's association with gold is obvious. The discovery of gold
at Sutter's Mill in 1848 sparked the gold rush era in California. The fields of yellow
poppies, California's state flower, create blankets of gold over California's countryside
in the springtime. The city of Sacramento was chosen as the capital city. It is located
where the Sacramento River and the American River meet. It was a major distribution center
in the mid 1800's. Today Sacramento has a population of nearly 500,000 and it is the
sixth-largest city in California. The highest point in California is Mt.Whitney which stands
at 14,495 feet above sea level. Its west slope is located in the Sequoia National Park, the
summit is the south end of the John Muir Trail and the east slope is in the Inyo National
Forest. The lowest point in California is Death Valley which sits 282 feet below sea
level. It is actually the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. California's state
bird is the California Valley Quail. This bird is about 9 - 10 inches long, with a short,
black bill and a tall head plume. It makes its nest in the ground out of grass and leaves.
This bird is common in western USA and lives in desert edges and grassy valleys. The state
mammal is the grizzly bear. The grizzly bear was chosen to adorn the state flag. The grizzly
is a fierce predator that once freely roamed California's mountains and river valleys.
It is now a threatened species. I Love You California is California's official state
song. The lyrics were written in 1913 by Francis Bernard Silverwood. In 1951 it was designated
as California's state song, but it wasn't until 1988 that it became the official song
by law. Today California is divided into 58 counties with a total population of 37,253,956.
It has the eighth largest economy in the world. California is a diverse state earning revenue
from tourism, agriculture and private industry. San Francisco has over 15 million tourists
each year. Lombard Street, known as the crookedest street in the world, is one of the popular
tourist attractions. Also, the world famous Golden Gate Bridge is an internationally recognized
symbol and has been declared one of the modern Wonders of the World. Hollywood also attracts
millions of visitors each year. Tourists from around the world come to visit Hollywood,
the Pacific Ocean, Universal Studios and Disneyland. California has a moderate climate. This allows
for year-round production of crops. California grows more than half of the nations fruits,
vegetables and nuts, producing more than 350 different crops. For over 50 years it has
been the nation's top agricultural state. It is also the number one milking producing
state with over 1.8 million dairy cows. California is rich in history and diversity. From its
redwood forests to the magnificent Pacific Coast Line, California is a gracious state.
This concludes the California History presentation. I hope you enjoyed it and learned a little
bit more about the state of California.
to the Union. California became a state on September 9, 1850. It took its name from a
novel written by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo in 1510 called Las Serges de Esplandian. It
was a Spanish romance that was written about a mythical island which was described as an
earthly paradise. When Spanish explorers found California it was originally believed that
California was an island. The state flag was first flown on June 14, 1846. It was designed
by William Todd and then quickly sewn by a small group of American settlers whom had
forcibly taken the town of Sonoma away from Mexico. The flag was officially adopted as
the state flag in 1911. Peter Hardeman Burnett was California's first governor, serving from
December 1849 to January 1851, when he resigned from office leaving a mixed legacy. His racist
attitudes towards Blacks, Chinese, and Native Americans have tarnished his mark left in
history. There have been 38 governors since Peter Burnett. The current Governor, Jerry
Brown, was California's 34th and 39th governor. He was born April 7, 1938. Governor Brown
was born in San Francisco, California and studied law at Yale. He is known as a fiscal
conservative and strongly opposes the death penalty. Governor Brown is married to Anne
Gust and they live in Oakland Hills. Since 1968, California's official nickname has been
"The Golden State." California's association with gold is obvious. The discovery of gold
at Sutter's Mill in 1848 sparked the gold rush era in California. The fields of yellow
poppies, California's state flower, create blankets of gold over California's countryside
in the springtime. The city of Sacramento was chosen as the capital city. It is located
where the Sacramento River and the American River meet. It was a major distribution center
in the mid 1800's. Today Sacramento has a population of nearly 500,000 and it is the
sixth-largest city in California. The highest point in California is Mt.Whitney which stands
at 14,495 feet above sea level. Its west slope is located in the Sequoia National Park, the
summit is the south end of the John Muir Trail and the east slope is in the Inyo National
Forest. The lowest point in California is Death Valley which sits 282 feet below sea
level. It is actually the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. California's state
bird is the California Valley Quail. This bird is about 9 - 10 inches long, with a short,
black bill and a tall head plume. It makes its nest in the ground out of grass and leaves.
This bird is common in western USA and lives in desert edges and grassy valleys. The state
mammal is the grizzly bear. The grizzly bear was chosen to adorn the state flag. The grizzly
is a fierce predator that once freely roamed California's mountains and river valleys.
It is now a threatened species. I Love You California is California's official state
song. The lyrics were written in 1913 by Francis Bernard Silverwood. In 1951 it was designated
as California's state song, but it wasn't until 1988 that it became the official song
by law. Today California is divided into 58 counties with a total population of 37,253,956.
It has the eighth largest economy in the world. California is a diverse state earning revenue
from tourism, agriculture and private industry. San Francisco has over 15 million tourists
each year. Lombard Street, known as the crookedest street in the world, is one of the popular
tourist attractions. Also, the world famous Golden Gate Bridge is an internationally recognized
symbol and has been declared one of the modern Wonders of the World. Hollywood also attracts
millions of visitors each year. Tourists from around the world come to visit Hollywood,
the Pacific Ocean, Universal Studios and Disneyland. California has a moderate climate. This allows
for year-round production of crops. California grows more than half of the nations fruits,
vegetables and nuts, producing more than 350 different crops. For over 50 years it has
been the nation's top agricultural state. It is also the number one milking producing
state with over 1.8 million dairy cows. California is rich in history and diversity. From its
redwood forests to the magnificent Pacific Coast Line, California is a gracious state.
This concludes the California History presentation. I hope you enjoyed it and learned a little
bit more about the state of California.