June 2, 2003

5^th Grade

I like to dedicate this important book to my wonderful teacher Ms.Uyeda because she taught me a lot about California and U.S History.

1.The important thing about Native Americans in the United States is that they had their land taken away by the U.S government.

The Native Americans had many broken treaties with the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo caused Native Americans to lose their land. President Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act. This affected all Native Americans east of the Mississippi. This act caused Native Americans to relocate to Oklahoma and this was called the Trail Of Tears.

But, the important thing about Native Americans in the United States is that they had their land taken away by the U.S government.

2.The important thing about early explorers to California is that they founded the missions.

Jose dé Galvéz asked Father Serra to help him build the missions. They wanted to convert the Native Americans to the Roman Catholic religion. The expedition was divided into five groups. Two groups would travel by land and three groups would travel by sea. They would meet in San Diego to make the first mission. Galvez also chose a captain in the Spanish army Gaspar dé Portola to lead the expedition. Three hundred missionaries, soldiers, sailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, mule drivers and cooks were under Portola?s command. The first ship set sail from Baja, California in 1769. Captain Portola and Father Serra were in the land group. During the expedition Father Serra suffered from a leg wound. Six weeks later they arrived in San Diego. On June 16, Father Serra founded Mission San Diego de Alcala near a Kumeyaay village. Father Serra sent Father Juan Crespi with Portola. On June 3,1770, Serra founded the second mission San Carlos Borromeo. Totally, Father Serra founded nine missions. After Father Serra died in 1784, Father Fermin Lasuen founded nine more missions.

But, the important thing about early explorers to California is that they founded the missions.

3.The important thing about Spanish missions in California is that they changed the way of life for many Native Americans.

The missions were made to convert Native Americans to the Roman Catholic religion. There were twenty-one missions in all. They are Sonoma, San Rafael, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Juan Bautista, San Carlos Barromeo, San Antonio, San Miguel, San Luis Obispo, Santa Inez, Santa Barbara, San Gabriel, San Fernando Rey, San Luis Rey, San Diego, San Juan Capistrano, Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, La Purisma Concepción and San Buenaventura. The pueblos are San Jose, Los Angeles and Villa de Branciforte. The presidios are San Francisco, Monterey, San Diego and Santa Barbara. The Native Americans made adobe bricks, learned soap-making, candle-making and carpentry. They learned to grow pear trees, grape trees and planted crops.

But, the important thing about Spanish missions in California is that they changed the way of life for many Native Americans.

4.The important thing about ranchos in California is that they were the result of the ending of the mission system.

In 1833,Governor José Figueroa announced a plan to end the mission system. The mission priests could stay and the churches could remain open, but the missions would lose their land. Jose Figueroa wanted to divide the mission lands equally between the Native Americans and the Mexican settlers. Only few Native Americans got land. Those who got land lost or sold it to other settlers. After missions closed in 1833 ranchos were created. The rancheros or rancheras had to make a diseño or map to get a land grant. The diseño showed the rancho?s borders. Native Americans worked on the ranchos. The Native Americans who worked on the ranchos were not paid for their work. Instead they got food, clothing and shelter. Vaqueros also worked on the ranchos. The ranchos did not make their own goods. They imported things from Boston. They imported fish lines, toothbrushes, tea, coffee, axes, guns, shoes, boots, jewels, combs, knives and forks, sugar, spices and clothing. They exported hides and tallow.

But, the important thing about ranchos in California is that they were the result of the closing of the mission system.

5.The important thing about westward expansion across the United States is that it was a time when people moved west on the trails thanks to Lewis and Clark.

In 1803, President Jefferson bought a huge piece of land stretching west from New Orleans to the border of what is now Idaho and north to Canada from Napoleon. This was called the

"Louisiana Purchase". President Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition to Louisiana and all the land to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis asked William Clark to help him lead the expedition. They also had to explore the Missouri River and find a safe route to the Pacific Ocean. Forty-two men went with Lewis and Clark. On May 14, 1804 they set out from St.Louis in three boats. They brought tools, clothing and weapons. They also brought eyeglasses, mirrors, fishhooks and beads. The goods were gifts for Native Americans whom they might meet on the way. In a Mandan village they hired a French fur-trapper Touissaint Charbonneau. He brought his wife Sacajawea. She was a Shoshone Indian. From the Rockies, Lewis and Clark followed the Snake River and then took the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.. It took them 18 months to reach it. Lewis and Clark returned to Washington D.C in 1806. Because of Lewis and Clark it made it easy for new settlers to follow the way west. Since the Louisiana Purchase, people from the United States have been moving west. They believed it was their destiny to expand to the west. This belief was called Manifest Destiny.

The important thing about westward expansion across the United States is that it was a time when people moved west on the trails thanks to Lewis and Clark.

6.The important thing about the Gold Rush is that it made many people come to California in search of gold.

James Wilson Marshall?s discovery of gold in California started the gold rush. James Marshall found the gold on January 24, 1848 in John Sutter?s mill. News of the gold spread to the east coast. It even spread to Europe, Australia and China. Forty-niners came to California in search of gold. Forty-niners traveled around Cape Horn at the tip of South America to California. Forty thousand people came by sea to California, while 100,000 people traveled over the plains and mountains. People who had come by boat had to stop in the port city of San Francisco.

But, the important thing about the Gold Rush is that it made many people come to California in search of gold.

7.The important thing about the Transcontinental Railroad is that it involved the interest of famous investors and the hard work of many laborers.

Theodore Judah wanted to build a railroad linking California and the Eastern United States. First Theodore Judah had to find a route through the Sierra Nevada that would be flat enough for a train to climb. He found a route near Dutch Flat. Judah told his plan to Sacramento merchants. Four of them were interested.They were Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, Collis Huntington and Mark Hopkins. They agreed to become investors in the Central Pacific Railroad. They were called the Big Four. Leland Stanford was the railroad?s president. In 1861 Judah went to Washington D.C and he convinced the Congress to pass the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the act. The U.S government loaned money to the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad. Together they would build the Transcontinental Railroad. The government also gave them ten square miles on each side of the track for each mile of track they laid. They started on January 8, 1863 in Sacramento. Judah died in November 1863. It took six years to build the railroad. On May 10, 1869 the two railroads met at Promontory, Utah.

The important thing about the Transcontinental Railroad is that it involved the interest of famous investors and the hard work of many laborers.

8.The important thing about modern-day California is that it is home for many immigrants.

In 1993 people from 90 different countries came to California. California is the most populated in the United States. Most immigrants come from Mexico, Philippines, Central America, South America, East Asia and Southeast Asia. In 1968, a new law made it easy for people from Asian countries to come to the United States and live. Until then immigration laws discriminated people from Asian countries.

But, the important thing about modern-day California is that it is home for many immigrants.