Standard 1: Understand the story and lasting influence of the Pony Express, Overland Mail Service,
Western Union, and the building of the transcontinental railroad, including the
contributions of Chinese workers to its construction.
Standard 2: Explain how the Gold Rush transformed the economy of California, including the
types of products produced and consumed, changes in towns (e.g., Sacramento, San
Francisco), and economic conflicts between diverse groups of people.
Standard 3: Discuss immigration and migration to California between 1850 and 1900, including the
diverse composition of those who came; the countries of origin and their relative
locations; and conflicts and accords among the diverse groups (e.g., the 1882 Chinese
Exclusion Act).
Standard 4: Describe rapid American immigration, internal migration, settlement, and the growth
of towns and cities (e.g., Los Angeles).
Standard 5: Discuss the effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II on
California.
Standard 6: Describe the development and locations of new industries since the turn of the century,
such as the aerospace industry, electronics industry, large-scale commercial
agriculture and irrigation projects, the oil and automobile industries, communications
and defense industries, and important trade links with the Pacific Basin.
Standard 7: Trace the evolution of California’s water system into a network of dams, aqueducts,
and reservoirs.
Standard 8: Describe the history and development of California’s public education system, including
universities and community colleges.
Standard 9: Analyze the impact of twentieth-century Californians on the nation’s artistic and
cultural development, including the rise of the entertainment industry (e.g., Louis B.
Meyer, Walt Disney, John Steinbeck, Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, John Wayne).
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