John Sutter
An emigré from Switzerland who came to California to establish his "New Helvetia" in the land of opportunity. A man with vision and organization, Sutter built an economically thriving outpost of Anglo-American settlement in Mexican California based on livestock and lumber using Native American labor. The discovery of gold at a mill owned by Sutter launched the "rush" for gold that ultimately led to his undoing, ruining him financially as the mass of humanity tramped through his lands on their rush to the gold fields. |
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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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David Fenimore is a noted Chautauqua performer whose previous portrayals include Zane Grey, Horace Greeley, and Donner Party survivor Lewis Keseberg. Fenimore earned his M.A. in English at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he has taught English and Western Traditions since 1989. He has written articles on western writers Zane Grey, Edward Abbey, and Gary Snyder, among others, and has published a book, Bicycling Across America (Pinedrop Press, 1989). In 1993, his two-act play on the life of Zane Grey, "A Bad Boy Grown Up," ran for six sold-out performances in his home town of Truckee, California. |
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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