2. CHAPTER 1- QUEEN CALAFIA’S ISLAND
Queen Calafia
Fictional character
Is said to have been the commander of the
Californians- a race of black Amazonians.
Queen Calafia. The name California derives from a
character in a 1510 Spanish book. It was Las Sergas de
Esplandián ("The Exploits of Esplandian"), by Garcí
Ordóñéz de Montalvo. The book was the story of a
brave knight who battled griffins and giants. It included
a description of a wild island called California, which
was peopled by black women. They were said to live in
the manner of Amazons. The island was ruled by a
Queen Calafia. It was filled with strange creatures
whom the women fed with men they had captured in
other lands. They also fed their own male children to
the creatures.. Some historians have suggested that the
Spanish explorers applied the name California in jest
when they encountered the barren landscape of the
Baja California peninsula
3. CHAPTER 1(CONTINUED)- CALIFORNIA
Between latitudes of 42 and 32 north.
When viewed from a satellite it appears to be
blue, green, brown, white and red.
Rests upon two tectonic plates.
It was formed by the plates interacting with one
another causing earthquakes, ice glacier shifts,
volcanic activity and water bringing in and
changing the soil.
The terrain is mountainous, valleys, canyons,
plains, deserts, and of course- coastlines.
4. CHAPTER 1 (CONTINUED)- SEASONS
Here in california we primarily have only two
seasons.
Summer-
lasting from March through October
Temperature ranges from 60-120 degrees Fahrenheit
Mostly sunny, occasional showers.
Fall-
Lasting from December through February
Temperatures from about 20-50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mostly cloudy skies, lots of rain in February
5. CHAPTER 4 – STRIKING IT RICH.
Gold!!
James Marshall arrived at
Sutter’s Fort in 1845 to being
building a water driven sawmill
Once built the sawmill could
use water to cut logs into
lumber.
When inspecting the site on
January 24, 1848 Marshall
found some ‘sparkling
pebbles’ and thought they
were just pieces of Quartz.
He thought they might be
gold, and proved his theory
when he took a nugget and
tried to smash it between two
rocks, however instead of
breaking apart, the nugget just
changed its shape. After
undergoing some more tests,
his theory proved true and he
had really found Gold.
6. CHAPTER 4 (CONTINUED)
This gold rush changed the
state of California forever.
From what started out as a
simple inspection, had now
turned into a full time
occupation for some
people.
People caught wind of this
discovery fast and soon
people from all over the
world were coming to
California in hopes of
making their fortunes
finding gold as well.
7. CHAPTER 4 (CONTINUED)
This caused a
substantial increase in
California's population
and put California on
the map.
But, although the Gold
Rush was considered
to be a good thing for
the state and people
who profited from it, it
also had major
downsides.
People were being
murdered- All because
people were to eager to
get their hands on this
newfound item.
8. CHAPTER 7
Drainage Act
1878
State wide water system to be constructed
Would cost approximately $100,000 to build this
irrigation system for California
9. CHAPTER 7
William Hammond Hall
State engineer responsible for
researching and publishing studies for
water projects in California.
He envisioned modern California through
water and as such is said to be
considered one of the states founders.
As California's State Engineer, Hall
worked on a comprehensive water supply
and flood control system for the
Sacramento Valley. Hall's study of
California's hydrology lasted from 1878
through 1883. In that time, his staff
installed an extensive flow gauging
system along some of California rivers.
He was also instrumental in designing
projects to help San Francisco acquire
adequate supplies of water from the
western watershed of the Tuolumne River.
10. CHAPTER 7
California Development Company
The California Development Company was formed in 1896 as a
replacement for the defunct Colorado River Irrigation Company, which
had been started a few years earlier for the purpose of planning
an irrigation system for the lower Colorado Desert in California.
Took over the project of diverting Colorado River water into
the Coachella and Imperial Valleys in the Salton Sink, a dry lake bed
which today contains the Salton Sea, hoping to turn the desert green with
agricultural fields.
The Imperial Canal was completed within two years. It received water
from the Colorado River, which, by the time it had flowed to the Imperial
Valley, contained massive amounts of silt. The Imperial Canal filled with
silt at an alarming pace. Attempts to create a diversion around the silt
blockages led to disaster, when winter flooding in 1905 tumbled the
diversion canal. The whole of the Colorado River poured into the Salton
Sink, forming the Salton Sea. The area was a scene of flood for two years
until the canal breach was mended. As the waters dried up the Salton
Sea was reduced in size, but it is still the largest lake in California.
