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Concepcion Earthquake
The 1835 Concepción earthquake devastated Concepción and Talcahuano with shaking and a tsunami, influencing seismic studies, as observed by Charles Darwin.
Source:
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1835_Concepción_earthquake.) "On February 20, 1835, an estimated M8.1-8.2 earthquake struck Concepción and Talcahuano, Chile, triggering a devastating tsunami along the coast." (Allende 312) Image: https://www.google.com/imgres?q=Concepcion% (1798–1864) -
Opium Wars
The Opium Wars were two mid-19th-century conflicts between China and Western powers over trade disputes. The First Opium War (1839–1842) was fought between China and Britain, while the Second Opium War (1856–1860) involved China, Britain, and France.
Source: ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA “The British forced the issue by attacking the Chinese port cities of Guangzhou and Tianjin in the Second Opium War.” (Allende 275) history state gov
Image: GETTY IMAGES/DeAgostini -
Chilean Silver Rush
The Chilean Silver Rush (1830–1850) was a period of rapid silver mining expansion in Chile, initiated by Juan Godoy's 1832 discovery of silver. This boom transformed mining into a principal source of national wealth and spurred significant economic growth in the Norte Chico region.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_silver_rush. "To top it off, rich veins of silver and gold were discovered in the north" (Allende 65). Image: Chilean Silver Peso | SS Central America -
Lawlessness in Gold Rush San Francisco
During the California Gold Rush (1848–1855), the rapid influx of prospectors overwhelmed existing legal systems, leading to widespread lawlessness characterized by duels, murders, public hangings, and vigilantism.
Source: n.wikip.org/wiki/Cal "Sat him on a horse after placing a rope around his neck, threw the other end of the branch of an oak, then slapped the horse on the rump and Theodore was hanged without further ado" (Allende 342). Image: http://content.cdlib -
Chileans join Gold Rush
During the California Gold Rush (1848–1855), approximately 7,000 Chileans, forming the second-largest foreign contingent after Mexicans, migrated to California in search of fortune.
Source: California Historical Quarterly, Duke University Press. “Chilean and Peruvian women on their way to California with plans to relieve the miners of their gold, but she couldn’t imagine how they were going to do that.”(Allende 173) Image: Unknown author - http://www.neatorama.com -
California Becomes its own state
In 1848, following the Mexican-American War, Mexico ceded California to the United States. The discovery of gold that same year led to a population surge, and on September 9, 1850, California was admitted as the 31st state under the Compromise of 1850.
Source: HISTORY "In September of 1850, Tao was present at the noisy patriotic celebration when California became the newest state in the union.” (Allende 386). Image: Cambridge University, Bernard J. Le Boeuf -
The San Francisco Fire
On May 3–4, 1851, a catastrophic fire, suspected to be arson, broke out in San Francisco, destroying approximately three-quarters of the city, including around 2,000 buildings, and causing an estimated $10–12 million in damages.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco "The Great Fire of 1851 took the lives of nine people and caused an estimated $12 million in damage.” (Allende 217) https://www.ancestry.com/
Image: Unknown author - The history of SF -
Chinese Immigration Surge
In 1852, over 20,000 Chinese immigrants arrived in California, significantly increasing the Chinese population during the Gold Rush era. This influx led to the enactment of discriminatory policies, such as the Foreign Miners' Tax, aimed at limiting Chinese participation in gold mining.
Source: PBS "It was a year of typhoons, bad harvests, and famine; the vast land of Chine was overrun with beggars and bandits" (Allende 187). Image: (Credit: Alamy)