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Chilean Earthquake Causes Flooding
"The earthquake of 1835 occurred around 11 a.m. and lasted about two minutes.-- There were aftershocks for several weeks and three tsunamis--" (CNN.com). “That was the year of the floods, which were immortalized in schoolchildren’s textbooks and in their grandparents’ memories. . . .a series of minor temblors, which came like God’s wrath, finished destroying everything . . .” (38-39) Allende uses simile to describe the natural disasters that devastated Concepción. Image by CNN.com -
Treaty of Nanking Reparations
"It is agreed, that the total amount of twenty-
one millions of dollars, described in the three pre-
ceding Articles, shall be paid." (The Treaty of Nanking, published in the London Gazette: 7 November 1843). “At the end of almost four years of struggle, China had to accept a humiliating defeat and pay the equivalent of twenty-one million dollars to their British conquerors.
.." (201). Allende describes the reparations that dishonoured Zhong Yi and every citizen of China. Image by John Platt -
Gold discovered in Northern Chile
"The 19th century saw political turmoil, the boom of silver, copper and nitrate mining activity as well as the Tierra del Fuego gold rush. However, gold deposits in the area were quickly depleted, and today Tierra del Fuego is credited largely for oil." (legendsofamerica.com). “ . . .rich veins of silver and gold were discovered in the north” (65). Allende describes the economic boom in 1845 that resulted from the discovery of silver and gold in Northern Chile. Image by: LegendsofAmerica.com -
Gold First Discovered in California
"I picked up the largest piece, worth about fifty cents, and tested it with my teeth, and as it did not give, I held it aloft and exclaimed, “gold, boys, gold!” At that they all dropped their tools and gathered around." (loc.gov). “In January of that year, near the mill of a Swiss farmer on the banks of the American River, a man by the name of Marshall had found a scale of gold in the water” (145). Allende describes how news of the California Gold Rush reached Chile. Image by Loc.gov -
The Gold Rush by Sea
"During the fall of 1848 and the spring of 1849, Chile issued about 3,000 passports to California-bound emigrants. Many more Chileans departed the country without formal documentation. . ." (PBS.com). “In the meantime, Joaquin Andieta was, like thousands of other Chileans his age, no matter their situation, dreaming of bags of gold dust and nuggets scattered across the ground.” (148). Allende romantically describes California gold that inspires Joaquin to leave Valparaiso. Image by LofA.com -
Environmental Effects of the Gold Rush
“Environmentally, the discovery of gold was a disaster,” he says. “People described the California landscape as looking like it had been dug up by giant moles.” (Natgeo.com) "At places where the gold was found, the idyllic land, which had remained untouched since the beginning of time, was turned into a lunar nightmare." (329). Allende describes the harsh realities of gold mining, and the detrimental effects it had on the environment. Image by UC Press.com -
Corruption and Crime in the Gold Rush
"California’s Gold Rush transformed the small Spanish settlement of San Francisco into a boomtown-- bringing with it murderers, swindlers, thieves, sporting girls, and carpetbagger politicians." (LegendsofAmerica.com). "Outlaws and fires were the chief subjects of conversation in California; they kept citizens terrorized and the press occupied. Crime was rampant and police corruption common knowledge. . ." (408). Allende details the uglier and lawless side of the gold rush. Image by Wikiwand -
The Final Days of Murrieta
"Early on the morning of this day in 1853, Love and his rangers attacked the outlaw camp. -eight of the bandits were killed, including Murrieta and his right hand man, Tres Dedos (also known as Three Fingered Jack)." (History.com). “the governor signed a decree authorizing Captain Harry Love and a group of twenty volunteers to hunt Joaquin Murieta for a period of three months.” (467). Allende details how Joaquin's fame grew enough to warrant a bounty from the Governor himself. Pic: Dan Berry