Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction by Ian Nish
- Note on the Text
- VOLUME I THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- Preface
- 1 The Voyage across the Pacific
- 2 A Survey of the United States of America
- 3 A Record of San Francisco, 1
- 4 A Record of San Francisco, 2
- 5 The Railroad Journey in the State of California
- 6 The Railroad Journey in the State of Nevada and Utah Territory
- 7 The Rocky Mountain Railroad
- 8 The Chicago Railroad
- 9 The Railroad Journey from Chicago to Washington, D.C.
- 10 A Survey of the District of Columbia
- 11 A Record of Washington, D.C., 1
- 12 A Record of Washington, D.C., 2
- 13 A Record of Washington, D.C., 3
- 14 The Journey Through the Northern States, 1
- 15 The Journey Through the Northern States, 2
- 16 The Journey Through the Northern States, 3
- 17 A Record of Washington, D.C.: Epilogue
- 18 A Record of Philadelphia
- 19 A Record of New York City
- 20 A Record of Boston
- VOLUME II BRITAIN
- VOLUME III CONTINENTAL EUROPE, 1
- VOLUME IV CONTINENTAL EUROPE, 2
- VOLUME V CONTINENTAL EUROPE, 3; AND THE VOYAGE HOME
- Index
5 - The Railroad Journey in the State of California
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction by Ian Nish
- Note on the Text
- VOLUME I THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- Preface
- 1 The Voyage across the Pacific
- 2 A Survey of the United States of America
- 3 A Record of San Francisco, 1
- 4 A Record of San Francisco, 2
- 5 The Railroad Journey in the State of California
- 6 The Railroad Journey in the State of Nevada and Utah Territory
- 7 The Rocky Mountain Railroad
- 8 The Chicago Railroad
- 9 The Railroad Journey from Chicago to Washington, D.C.
- 10 A Survey of the District of Columbia
- 11 A Record of Washington, D.C., 1
- 12 A Record of Washington, D.C., 2
- 13 A Record of Washington, D.C., 3
- 14 The Journey Through the Northern States, 1
- 15 The Journey Through the Northern States, 2
- 16 The Journey Through the Northern States, 3
- 17 A Record of Washington, D.C.: Epilogue
- 18 A Record of Philadelphia
- 19 A Record of New York City
- 20 A Record of Boston
- VOLUME II BRITAIN
- VOLUME III CONTINENTAL EUROPE, 1
- VOLUME IV CONTINENTAL EUROPE, 2
- VOLUME V CONTINENTAL EUROPE, 3; AND THE VOYAGE HOME
- Index
Summary
California is a large state on the Pacific coast of North America and includes a semi-tropical and a temperate zone. Originally it was a possession of Mexico, but Mexico was forced to relinquish control of much of it as a result of uprisings and conflict with the United States.
The indigenous population consisted of Mexicans and Indians. Later, waves of immigrants from Europe increased year by year, and in 1860 the population reached 280,000. Since then it has grown rapidly, and the figure for 1870 was 590,247. The bulk of the population, however, is concentrated in the countries around San Francisco Bay, while districts to the north and south remain sparsely populated and largely undeveloped.
The rapid growth of San Francisco is due to gold-mining, and the Chinese have therefore given it the name ‘Gold Mountain’, but not because any gold-mines are found in San Francisco itself. From the very opening of the city the Chinese arrived to dig for gold and found employment there; as a result, many amassed fortunes and returned to China. Soon the Chinese were competing to come here, and because of this situation the city earned the name ‘Gold Mountain’. In 1870, there were 49,310 Chinese living in San Francisco in a crowded part of the city known as ‘China Town’. They have also dispersed into surrounding countries, where they are employed as farm labourers to cultivate grain and plant vegetables and fruit-trees, or as factory workers.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Japan RisingThe Iwakura Embassy to the USA and Europe, pp. 28 - 34Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009