This is one of a series of California Revealed Curated Themes designed to mirror Teaching California's Inquiry Sets. This page builds on the 3.1. Why Did People Settle in California? set.
From Teaching California: California’s diverse geography, mild climate, and plentiful natural resources have attracted settlers for many thousands of years, and these same features have created opportunities for lucrative work and innovation. The primary sources found here are intended to show students the geographic and economic factors that encouraged settlement and development of the citrus region of Southern California.
Collected here you will find several complementary primary sources focused on California’s citrus industry. Moving image resources include Spanish and English-language films produced by California’s Employment Development Department on harvesting lemons and working on a citrus farm; a promotional film produced by Sunkist; and industrial films demonstrating agricultural equipment. Photographs span the 20th century and include several of Japanese-American farming families. Also included are postcards and pamphlets promoting citrus agriculture as a symbol of prosperity and plenitude.
While some of these materials may be more appropriate for older grade levels than the corresponding Teaching California Inquiry Set, we hope this sampling will be of interest to any California educators looking to incorporate primary source materials into their teaching of state and local history.
