Compares popular versions of California history and culture with some of its messier realities. Specifically, you should address these three topics:
1) the Spanish and Mexican periods;
2) the California Gold Rush; and
3) the growth of Los Angeles in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Also, in your conclusion, address the following question:
- What’s at stake in the debates over how to remember California’s past? Is it simply a matter of getting “the facts” straight, or are there other relevant issues to be considered?
Sample Solution