Essay 1  (Choose I or II)  Due Date:  June 12

I.  Recent work in the history of Spanish and Mexican California has shown that society in the California frontier was deeply divided by racial, ethnic, class, sexual and gender lines.  Choosing either the Spanish or Mexican period, discuss the construction of a civil society here.  How did colonization reshape relations between people of different races, ethnicities, and classes?  In what ways were attitudes toward sexuality, gender identity, and the family used to produce a new society here?

II.  New scholarship on the relations between colonists and California Indians illustrates that indigenous peoples had a variety of experiences under Spanish and Mexican rule.  Describe the experiences of Indian people from 1769-1830s.  How would you characterize their treatment by different groups of colonists?  What were some of the consequences of this treatment?  Include some discussion of the Indian response to their colonizers; e.g., How did Indian people attempt to shape their own destinies?  Be sure to refer to both lectures, discussions, and readings in your answer.

Essay 2  (Choose I or II)         Due Date:  June 26

I.   Historian James Rawls writes, "For generations, 'California' was virtually synonymous with 'opportunity' -- to Europeans and Asians as well as Americans -- and from around the country and the world millions of would-be Californians arrived seeking something they had not been able to find at home."  Using information drawn from the course readings, discussions, films, and lectures, write an essay on the relationship between migration/immigration and opportunity in California between 1850 and 1920.  Why did people come to this state and what did they find here?

II.  In describing mid-19th century California society, one early settler wrote of his experience, living in California was like a "pilgrimage in a strange land, a banishment from good society, a living death, and a punishment of the worst kind, and the time here ought to be considered as a blank period in existence."  Using the readings and other course materials, describe California's Gold Rush-era society.  Is this author's view representative of most residents of the state in this period?  Explain how and why California society changed during the last half of the 1800s.

Essay 3   (Choose I or II)         Due Date: July 10

I.  Many authors have attributed the development of an ethnic identity and subculture to the particular experiences of members of minority groups in California.  View a feature-length film that address some aspect of the ethnic experience in California during the 1800s or 1900s.  Write a brief critical review of the film.  Compare the subject of the film to the course readings, discussions, and lectures.  What parts of the film do you find credible?  In what ways do the film's characters become "Californians"?  Some suggestions for films:

California Conquest            Devil in a Blue Dress        El Norte                 The Joy Luck Club        Zoot Suit
Gold Rush (1940s version)    Mi Familia/My Family    Born in East L.A.   The Grapes of Wrath    Bladerunner
The Robin Hood of El Dorado        The Mask of Zorro

II.  One historian has characterized California's politics during the 20th century as being "highly emotional."  Compare and contrast the political movements of California during the following periods: 1900-1920; 1930s; 1960s; 1970s-present.  Is it fair to call these political movements "emotional"?  Did Californians have real grievances that were reflected in innovative, passionate, yet effective ways in the political movements of these times?