Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo held both military and civil authority over a vast area of Northern California during the Mexican period. He maintained a local military force, and was acknowledged as the local representative of the Mexican government. His land grants at one time included most of what are now Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. Although imprisoned by Americans during the Bear Flag Rebellion, he later participated in drafting the new state constitution, acting as a negotiator and translator, and served as a State Senator. |
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Is California of 150 years ago anything like the state we live in today? You may have a lot of opinions about that already, but let's take some time to explore what additional ideas we might get from examining the World Wide Web. Working with a partner, decide who will look into the past and who will see what current issues relate to this historic leader. Your main task will be to skim through the Web sites, taking note of what facts, ideas, examples, and stories are the most interesting to you. When you are finished, you and your partner will write several important questions that came to mind when you shared what you each learned about the past and present. When you are ready, click on the graphics below to get started. |
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You might have the opportunity to participate in a videoconference presented by an actual historian / actor portraying this early leader of California. This would be a great chance to pose your questions to a true expert. Would you like to find out more?
Background on the Actor / Historian
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Daniel Lewis is a native Californian, born and raised in San Bernardino. He has performed widely as a chautauquan, including a national tour with the "Democracy in America" Chautauqua, which was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. He studied history at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and he received his doctorate in Latin American history in 1990. His research focuses on economic and political issues in Argentina, and on liberal ideologies and their impact on Latin American societies during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He is currently an assistant professor in the history department at the California Polytechnic State University in Pomona. |
You have just explored Web sites on California's past and related current issues. You may have even had a chance to join in on a videoconference with a historical presenter. Now you and your partner can decide whether there is an "otherness" about the past, meaning something quite separate from life today, or whether there's a oneness that binds the present to the past. You can use the Insight Reflector page to guide your thinking.
Return to The Otherness of the Past homepage?
Created May 1, 1999 - Last revised: February, 2005
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