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Opium Wars
Foreign traders (primarily British) had been illegally exporting opium mainly from India to China since the 18th century, but that trade grew dramatically from about 1820. The resulting widespread addiction in China was causing serious social and economic disruption there. In the spring 1839 the Chinese government confiscated and destroyed more than 20,000 chests of opium.
“In 1839, when the Opium War between China and Great Britain broke out, Tao Chi’en was sixteen years old,” (Allende 165) -
Great Britain sent missionaries to Valparaíso
British missionaries in Valparaíso, Chile, arrived mainly in the early 19th century, establishing Protestant churches, schools, and cultural institutions, primarily serving the British expatriate community rather than converting Chileans due to the country's strong Catholic dominance.
"And that was the state of things at the end of 1845 when the commercial maritime fleet of Great Britain assigned a chaplain in Valparaiso to attend to the spiritual needs of the Protestants" (Allende 62). -
Perez Rosales sails towards California
First Chilean to make the journey to California in search of gold.
"The village of Yerba Buena, founded in 1769 by a Spanish expedition, had fewer than fifteen hundred inhabitants…”(Allende 223) -
Assimilation of Native Americans
The gold rush of 1848 brought still more devastation. Violence, disease, and loss overwhelmed the tribes. By 1870, an estimated 30,000 native people remained in the state of California, most on reservations without access to their homelands.
"Who by now had lost everything in the stampede for gold and were reduced to filthy bands of nomads in mangy coyote skins and European rags" (Allende 289). -
Chilean's hunt for gold
Thousands of Chilean miners called “Los ’49ers” and laborers left for California, particularly from Valparaíso and Coquimbo.
"Gold fever left no people unaffected: smiths, carpenters, teachers, doctors, soldiers, fugitives from the law, preachers, bakers…in search of adventure.” (Allende 270) -
The Great Fire
It destroyed more than 1,500 buildings, nearly leveling the city. The fire started in a paint shop and spread across San Francisco. The losses were estimated at $12 million; led to more fire-resistant buildings.
"The last days of May witnessed one of the many fires to be seen in those parts” (Allende 321). -
California joined the Union as a non-slavery state.
In 1849, Californians sought statehood and, after heated debate in the U.S. Congress arising out of the slavery issue, California entered the Union as a free, nonslavery state by the Compromise of 1850.
“In September of 1850, Tao was present at the noisy patriotic celebration when California became the newest state in the union” (Allende 318) -
Levi Strauss
In early 1853, he headed out to San Francisco to sell goods to the thriving mining trade. Strauss ran his own wholesale dry goods company as well as acted as his brothers' West Coast agent. Using a series of different locations in the city over the years, he sold clothing, fabric, and other items to small shops in the region.
“... like that tailor named Levi who was making pants with double seams and metal studs, the obligatory miner’s uniform, “(Allende 319)