California History - Dr. Gayle Olson-Raymer

Final Examination - 100 possible points

Directions. There are three parts to this exam which is worth a total of 100 points: three take-home written questions (25 points each for a total of 75 points); an oral portion (15 points); and an evaluation (10 points).

• The Written Portion (25 points for each question for a total of 75 points) : When completing the written part of the exam, you must:
  • Submit them in typewritten form - in any format that helps you to study for the oral portion.
  • Provide EVIDENCE for your answers from BOTH selected required readings and class discussions.
  • Turn them in on the day of the exam.
• The Oral Portion (15 points): On the day of the scheduled exam, you will come to class with your written answers to the questions. You will be asked to join a group of your classmates for a discussion of the questions and answers.
• The Evaluation Portion (10 points). During class you will take notes on the various presentations and you will be asked to complete an evaluation of the exam process and how well you prepared for the written exam and participated in the oral exam. You will staple your evaluation on top of your written exam and turn it into the T.A.
• PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST COME TO CLASS AND PARTICIPATE IN THE ORAL EXAM TO RECEIVE A GRADE FOR THE ENTIRE EXAM

Required Questions: Carefully read each question, making sure that you answer each component of each question. Additionally, make sure that the answers you provide for one question do not overlap with another question. For instance, if you decide to pick the story of "environmental conservation and destruction" for question #1, you cannot use that as an example of either a progressive or regressive policy in question #2. You must provide CLEAR AND ACCURATE EVIDENCE from the reading and class discussions for each answer.

1. On the first day of class, we reviewed each of our course themes, including "The real history of California is complex and filled with stories of both success and failure, power and oppression, interaction and conflict, extraordinary and ordinary individuals, environmental conservation and destruction." Pick one of these five stories within the theme - success and failure, power and oppression, interaction and conflict, extraordinary and ordinary individuals, environmental conservation and destruction - and then address the following:
   • Explain how and why you selected this particular story line. In other words, what was so compelling about this story line that you selected it for further discussion?
   • Select an example from one of the class discussions in each unit to support your story. (You should have 4 examples - one each from Units I, II, III, and IV.)
   • Explain how and why each example supports your chosen story. (You should have four explanations.)
2. Throughout this semester, the story of the California Indians has been carefully integrated into each of the four eras of study.
   • In what ways were Spanish, Mexican, and American policies and practices toward California Indians similar and dissimilar in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries?
   • During the first decade of California's admission to the U.S., state and federal attitudes about the "Indian Problem" resulted in policies and/or actions that had enormous consequences for the Indians of California. What were these policies and how did they effect the lives of California Indians?
   • Your professor has argued that California Indians are both victims and survivors of American state and federal policy. Using plenty of examples, explain how and why this is true.
3. Your professor has argued that in the case of California's economic progress, such progress was not always progressive.
   • Explain how the 19th Century extraction of gold and the growth of the logging industry was both progressive and regressive in California history.
   • Explain how the 20th century efforts to obtain water for Southern California and for agriculture was both progressive and regressive.
   • In the balance, do you think California's history since its entrance into the United States has been more progressive or more regressive? Provide plenty of evidence to support your answer.