-
Earthquake in Chile
“Charles Darwin, one of the most influential scientists in history…His first‐hand research of the great 1835 Chile earthquake contributed important scientific ideas about the origin of tsunamis, mountain building…” (pubs.geoscienceworld.org) “That was the year of the floods, which were immortalized in schoolchildren’s textbooks and in their grandparents’ memories” (Allende 31) -
Opium Wars in China
The Opium Wars in the mid-19th century were a critical juncture in modern Chinese history. The first Opium War was fought between China and Great Britain from 1839 to 1842. (asiapacificcurriculum.ca)
“ In 1839, when the Opium War between China and Great Britain broke out, Tao Chi’en was sixteen years old. At that point the country was overrun with beggars… It was a period of destruction and pillage.” (201) The Author gives details about Taos life to help the reader know him and learn about him. -
British Presence in Chile.
“Facing the Pacific Ocean, Chile had for many years had a large British presence. Over 50,000 British immigrants settled in Chile from 1840 to 1914” (en.wikipedia.org) “And that was the state of things at the end of 1845 when the commercial maritime fleet of Great Britain assigned a chaplain in Valparaíso to attend to the spiritual needs of the Protestants” (Allende 54). -
Gold is Found and the Gold Rush starts in San Francisco
“Close to 100,000 people went to California from every corner of the globe...In 1849, people poured in from one sea route or another. Most of these came to the port of San Francisco and the tiny town boomed.” (loc.gov)
“Within a few months, that innocent little village awakened with the name San Francisco and a fame that had reached the farthest points of the globe.” ( Allende 270) The purpose of this is to get the reader ready for the new setting going to be explored and excite them. -
The News of Gold Reaches Chile
Word of Marshall's discovery arrived in Valparaiso, Chile, with the arrival of the brig JRS on August 19, 1848. Captain Hobsons crew had jumped ship at San Francisco upon hearing the news. “The news of the gold discovered in California reached Chile in August. First it was a wild rumor.., few days later the captain of the schooner announced that half his crew had deserted in San Francisco.” (144) Shows the magnitude of the situation and how the smallest chance the get rich quick shook the world. -
Deadly Winter Storms in San Francisco
“The winter of 1850 produced incessant rains with record and near record precipitation totals in the months of November, December, January and March” (serriasun.com). “The last days of January 1850 witnessed one of the worst ice storms ever seen in those parts. No one dared leave shelter; the town seemed dead, and for more than ten days not a single customer came to the barn” (Allende 230). Not all days were good and that's what this quote tells the reader. There was danger everywhere. -
Foreign Miners Tax is Passed
“In 1850, the California legislature passed a Foreign Miners' Tax that required miners who were not U.S. citizens to pay $20 a month... the tax was only collected from Chinese and Latino miners, while European miners were not forced to pay it” (shed.ashy.cuny.edu). “That year, 1850, the legislature of California approved a tax on mining operations designed to protect whites” (Allende 120). This gives insight into how racist and unfair things were back then and the whole reality of the situation. -
California Becomes a State
“California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850. The Golden State’s rich history has since been shaped by people of every ethnic background who traveled here seeking economic…” (parks.ca.gov). “In September of 1850, Tao was present at the noisy patriotic celebration when California became the newest state in the union” (Allende 117). This milestone shows how different things ended up for Tao and Eliza and how they stayed and found a way to live in the land they now call home.
