Historical Context: San Francisco
"On the splendid Bay of San Francisco, one of the nobelest harbors on the whole vast range of the Pacific Ocean, long has stood, like a Queen of the West on its seven hills, the beautiful city of San Francisco, the youngest and in its own way one of the most beautiful and attractive of the large cities of the United States." (Morris, 17). |
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The Gold Rush
"Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!" - James Marshall
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When gold was discovered in the American River in 1848, miners in hopes of striking it rich flocked to California(Morris, 23). San Francisco, with easy access to the sea and a sheltered harbor, became a place where miners could pick up supplies and depart for mines. The city's population increased from 500 to 200,000 from all the buisness from miners(Richards, 38).
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The Flourishing City
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Before the earthquake struck, San Francisco was flourishing. It was the economic capital of the west, and city hall was the largest building west of Chicago("San Francisco Before 1900). The United States Mint, located between Fifth and Mission Streets, housed one third of the country's gold(United States Treasury, 14). The city was well-known worldwide, and a major seaport.
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Previous Study of the San Andreas Fault
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Not much research had been done on the San Andreas Fault prior to the earthquake. The US Geological Survey did a little work, making some observations and creating a list of earthquakes in American history("Previous Study"). But scientists were barred from working on a major part of the San Andreas Fault. The Governor of San Francisco, George Pardee, would not let scientists study the fault near San Francisco. He was afraid the residents of the city would be scared away if the government recognized the area was earthquake-prone(George Pardee Papers, 4).
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