Expansion and Growth of California - Essay Example

The first period in the history of California is the period prior to its status as a colony. Later, in the 16th century, California became under the control of Spanish and British colonizers. Gradually, the settlers began to control the indigenous population. The Bear Flag Revolt in the year 1846 in California is symbolic of the rebellious attitude of the settlers and the formation of the California Republic. The California Gold Rush (say, between1848 and1855) is another major period in the history of California.

During this period, the influx of immigrants in search of gold changed the distribution of the population in California. Later, the Compromise of 1850 led to the formation of California as a free state within the United States of America. Earlier than European colonization, California was sparsely populated because the Native Americans used to settle in different areas of California. The European settlement resulted in an influx of immigrants and rapid urbanization. To be specific, the California Gold Rush or the influx of gold-seekers resulted in the rapid urbanization of California.

The small settlements in California rapidly transformed into towns and cities. Now, California enjoys the largest gross state product (GSP) among the states within the United States of America. Ignacio Gonzalez stated that “In February 2001, California’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent, the lowest level since the late 1960s” (351). The growth in GSP is most important because it represents the expansion and growth of California. In the present condition, the Californian economy depends upon international trade and commerce.

Transportation facilities in California consist of the network of roads (freeways, expressways, and highways), airways (commercial and general aviation), seaports (for example, Port of Los Angeles) and rail lines (intercity rail lines, light rail systems, etc). Summing, the expansion and growth of California from a small settlement area to a free state and its development is interconnected with European colonization and it’s after effects. Historically, the expansion and growth of California are interconnected with geographical discoveries initiated by the European seafarers.

On the other side, the most important changes in the expansion and growth of California are deeply indebted to the wise utilization of resources, centralized planning and infrastructure development.