Happy Birthday, California! Today
is the 161st anniversary of the "Golden State". The treaty between the USA and Mexico that ended the Mexican war specified a large piece of the Southwest (including California) as belonging to America. California became
wildly popular in 1848 as a result of the Gold Rush. People from all over
hurried to the territory in search of their fortune, and before long, a civil
government was needed to settle disputes among them and provide equal law for
them. On this day in 1850, President Millard Fillmore signed the bill that
would admit California as the 31st state of the Union. California was accepted
as a state under The Compromise of 1850, which rejected the slave-owning
Southern states access to the Pacific.
Today, California will honor the
day with a celebration on the South Steps in Sacremento. The state of
California announced: “Together, we celebrate a more inclusive story of
the History of California, targeting 4th grade students through Official
Statewide History and Social Studies Content Standards and Practice[this is
implemented and ongoing in California state public school
curriculum]."
This holiday has provided a
perfect opportunity to learn about the impact California has had on American
history. To bring this article to a close, I'll leave you with a few funny
Californian laws I happened upon while researching.
1. "In Arcadia, peacocks
have the right of way to cross any street, including driveways."
2. "In Carmel, ice cream may
not be eaten while standing on the sidewalk." (Ironic, no?)
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http://parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23856
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/62735.html
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/09/am-alert-242.html
http://www.examiner.com/history-art-in-monterey/friday-september-9-california-admission-day
