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Chilean Silver Rush - Chile
"During the period from 1830 to 1850, the growth of silver mining in Chile surged at an extraordinary rate, ultimately establishing mining as one of the nation's primary sources of wealth." “ . . .rich veins of silver and gold were discovered in the north."(65) Allende used real life time as this quote telling us how Chile suddenly flourished with silver mining. -
Opium Wars - China
Hong Kong became a British colony after the First and Second Opium Wars, starting in 1839. These conflicts arose partly due to British opium smuggling into Chinese ports against the Chinese government's objections.
"In 1839 when the Opium war between England and China started, Tao Chi’en was only sixteen. At that point the country was overrun with beggars”(200). The author Allende uses this to show Tao's perspective on these wars and how he had to live through it as a teen. -
Great Britain in The Port of Valparaiso - Chile
"From 1810 to 1914, approximately 32,000 English people lived in Valparaiso. There were products like tea and steam engines. The monopoly model in Chile set up an “informal empire” for the British in the Southern cone."
(58; 76) “ . . .end of 1845 when the commercial maritime fleet of Great Britain assigned a chaplain to Valparaiso.” The author uses this quote to bring alive the event since it tells us about what the British were doing while in Valparaiso and explains what they did there. -
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Chilean Immigration to SF - SF
The Chilean immigration in California during the gold rush, from approximately 1848–1852. " “Chilean and Peruvian women on their way to California relieve miners of their gold.”(173)" The author tries to focus on the choice that the Chilean and Peruvian women made traveling to California to try to get a piece of the gold rush by getting involved with the miners. -
Chinese Immigration to SF - SF
By 1848, Chinese immigrants began arriving in San Francisco, drawn by established migration patterns and economic hardships in China, including high taxes, displacement from land, and natural disasters. The booming economy created by the gold rush further caused their move. “By that time there were more than 100,000 argonauts . . .” (329). The author used this to give the feeling of the movement of Chinese immigration and how the gold rush attracted people to want the American dream. -
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The Gold Rush - SF
The gold rush from 1848 to 1855 transformed San Francisco into a leading U.S. city, growing to 50,000 residents by 1855 and 150,000 by 1870. It became the primary commercial and financial hub of the Western United States, alongside being the central point for California's mining activities.
“Gold fever left no one unaffected: smiths, carpenters, teachers, doctors, soldiers, fugitives from the law…” (270)
Allende used this quote to illustrate the gravitation of the goldrush and who it affected. -
San Francisco Becoming a Boomtown - SF
“Almost overnight, the gold rush transformed San Francisco into a booming city filled with makeshift tent-houses, hotels, stores, saloons, gambling halls, and shanties.” "The hordes of argonauts kept arriving, ever faster and in greater numbers." (270) Allende explains how San Francisco quickly arose to its exceeding economy causing tons of people all around to look for generational wealth. -
California and San Francisco Becoming US Land - SF
California was admitted to the U.S. as a state on September 9, 1850—the State of California soon chartered San Francisco and San Francisco County. “In September of 1850, Tao was present at the noisy patriotic celebration when California became the newest state in the Union” (386) Allende uses the perspective of Tao's life to show us the acceptance of California becoming its own state and US land.