The 1910s and 20s saw Los Angeles transform into a land of dreams. Silent films captivated audiences, airplanes soared, and LA's temperate climate fueled military growth. But beneath the prosperity lurked organized crime, extortion, and the rise of the mafia, fueled by Prohibition.
The arrival of the airplane and automobile transform transportation culture in the SouthLand while silent film stars and movie palaces sell the Land of Sunshine to the world as a place of dreams, fame, celebrity, and endless possibility.
In the late 19th century, city leaders believed the Los Angeles River and Arroyo Seco Creek would provide enough water for the growing region but as the population surged at the turn of the 20th century, it became clear this was not sustainable. The city's rapid population growth and periodic droughts outstripped the local water supplies while devastating floods continued.
Along with the tumultuous condition of the water supply bumpy waters were ahead in the struggle for labor rights in the Southland. Anti-Union business owners faced off against employees and organized labor fighting to earn a decent wage and protection from the newer and more dangerous industrial jobs transforming the country. This battle led to a string of deadly encounters between the two sides.
The discovery of oil creates another economic boom, while Huntington builds his real estate and electric rail empire.
The city wrestles over a harbor location, the transcontinental railroad is connected to the southland, and the cycle of booms and busts in the region is ignited.
From the original indigenous inhabitants, the Tongva people, to successive waves of Spanish colonizers, Mexican settlers, and eventually, a global melting pot of immigrants – Los Angeles has always been a city of incredible diversity. However, that diversity hasn't always meant equality or harmony.
In the early days of California under the United States, change was fast and dizzying. The Gold Rush fueled massive population growth not only from Americans but from people around the world who heard of riches beyond their imaginations flowing from California’s rivers. But this influx of people caused racial tensions to rise. The merging of Natives, Latinos, Anglos, Chinese, and Irish paved the path for a deadly conflict of cultures that persisted for decades. In addition, the debate surrounding California’s admission to the union as a free or slave-holding state divided not only Californians but the democratic party itself.
Wrought with conflict, the people of Southern California persisted with their hopes and dreams of prosperity as a guiding light. Their ambition burned bright, a beacon of hope against the chaos.
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Spain claims Alta California for itself, Mexico wins independence from Spain, and the United States defeats Mexico in the Mexican-American war. California is poised for rampant growth.
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