The History of California: From a Spanish Colony to an American Giant

By Jonathan Chen, published in Gam San, California, the United States of America

"... When gold was discovered by federal inspectors in 1827, it caused a large surge of immigrants to flock to the "Golden State" in order to strike riches quickly. At the time, the population of California was estimated to be less than 90,000, most of which were Native Americans. However, by the year 1832, the population of California was nearly 200,000, with thousands more arriving in the territory to mine for gold in California and extract silver in Sierra. 70% of the immigrants that moved into the western territory were Americans from the east coast, with the remaining 30% consisting of foreign immigrants. Most of these foreign immigrants hailed from China, and helped build California into the prosperous and diverse state it is today...

The first Chinese immigrants to California arrived in March of 1828, after evading Qing authorities and hitching a ride on an American ship heading to San Francisco. Most of the group were Cantonese, originating from the southwestern parts of China. While the Qing government made serious efforts to improve the fragile situation in southern China, the region was often stricken with rebellions and opium epidemics (which was somewhat combated by American doctors and the medical usage of marijuana, but not enough to completely reverse the growing crisis). As such, many of these immigrants were fleeing not only to improve their lives but to also bring over their families from China and move to the United States (the first few waves of Chinese immigrants mainly consisted of men, as they "established" themselves within California before bringing over their families with the money they earned). By this time, the United States was already known to the Chinese people as "Meiguo" (translated to "Beautiful Country"). Thousands of Chinese living in America often sent gifts and letters to their relatives back in China, and the Western nation was known to be tolerant and prosperous by the Chinese populace (this was often limited to the Guangzhou region, as it had the most exposure to the West due to Canton). Unsurprisingly, the news that gold was discovered in the United States, and on the Pacific side of the nation as well, sent ripples through the Chinese peasantry. Immigration to the North American nation was limited due to the quota (which was at 9,000 per year by 1825) and the distance of travel. However, "Meiguo" was now "reachable" to any Chinese citizens that aspired to move to the nation to escape their life of poverty and struggles. Even more, American ships allowed even the poorest Chinese peasants to travel on their ships and move to the United States for a small, reasonable fee. This all led to the rapid Chinese immigration of California and the establishment of a large Asian community on the American West Coast...

By the year 1832, five years after the discovery of gold in California, nearly 40,000 people of Chinese descent lived within the borders of California. They made up nearly a fifth of the population, a percentage that was unmatched in any other American state. As many of these Chinese immigrants obtained money to build their homes and establish businesses (ranging from laundromats to banks) (it is important to note that the first bank owner in California was Chinese, Zeng Yun), they eagerly attempted to bring their family members over. Though, their efforts were temporarily halted by the Anglo-American War and the resulting British blockade of the American West Coast. However, this only led to thousands of Chinese immigrants joining the American Foreign Legion, which would allow them to receive their citizenship rapidly (due to President Bonapart's decision to allow any combat veterans of the Foreign Legion receive expedited citizenship) and also alleviate their status in American society (as fierce, loyal fighters that defended a foreign land that provided them a new home)...

Now, it is important to mention that President Crockett played a large part in allowing California to be settled "peacefully." Historians now have access to historical records that display President Crockett's efforts to build up local infrastructure and reach a peaceful settlement with Californian Native tribes before the 1828 Gold Rush began. The Sixth American President was notified of the discovery of gold in 1825 and spent the next three years to ensure that the proper guidelines were in place before opening the territory for settlement. Construction began to expand the port facility and residential areas of San Francisco in 1825 (at this point, San Francisco was a small port village of 800 people). In 1826, President Crockett reached an agreement with FRCA President Jose Cecilio del Valle to build a railroad through the Federal Republic of Central America to ease the travel between the American East Coast and the American West Coast. He also offered additional financial incentives, such as constructing a port in one of the Pacific towns within the FRCA (which resulted in the town of Mechapa becoming a major hub of shipping in the future) and the employment of local workers for the task. By the latter half of 1826, the construction for the Nicaragua Railroad was underway (which would be completed in 1832, just before the outbreak of the Anglo-American War). Additionally, in 1828, the American government reached an agreement with the majority of Native American tribes in California. The Treaty of the Pacific listed similar benefits the other western Native American tribes received, but the Californian tribes were also allowed to keep any gold discovered on their land. Not only that, but President Crockett also agreed to split half of the yearly tax the government collected from gold in the region (which was small, but created a significant source of income for the federal government) with the tribes based on the number of members of each tribe (with the biggest tribes receiving more gold than the smaller tribes), significantly boosting the finances of the Californian tribes and allowing them to become a very powerful force within the future state...

All this allowed California to enjoy an era of peaceful and orderly settlement. Government agencies were already set in place by the time the first immigrants reached the shores of California (including over a hundred Chinese Americans serving as translators, along with a handful of Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean ones). When foreign immigrants arrived in the territory, they were quarantined in Alcatraz Island for immunization and customs (the average length of stay of an immigrant on Alcatraz was about three days, with meals and housing provided for). All settlers were allowed to purchase housing built by the government within San Francisco and elsewhere. Native Americans often acted as guides for new arrivals, showing them goldfields that were untaken by the tribes (which still contained a significant amount of gold, despite the tribes being aware of them longer than the settlers). When 1832 rolled around, California was a very diverse territory that was humming with prosperity and life.

Unfortunately, that peace was shattered after a group of prospect miners (that sought to avoid the tax on gold in California) ran into a British settlement after entering the Oregon Territory to search for gold in Peel Creek..."