History of San Francisco

San Francisco began its illustrious life with a gold rush in 1848, and has followed this boom or bust destiny ever since. The infamous forty-niners who flocked to the American River in search of fortune were the first wave of many who helped build this city. Although this first bonanza was short-lived, another bigger strike soon followed when silver was found in western Nevada. The 1860s was the decade that put San Francisco on the map, as silver barons built their mansions and immigrants poured into the city to supply the miners. Just like the volatile earth upon which its built, this city continues to change the landscape of American culture through its freedom and diversity.

Boom to bust

One result of the mining boom was the emergence of the wild Barbary Coast, which gave the city a deserved reputation for vices of every kind. This rebellious self-dictated spirit has carried on into the present day, opening the door to all kinds of people looking to call San Francisco home. The Chinese were the first major ethnic group to settle here, helping to work the mines, then later to build the railroad. But relations were strained as the citys ethnicities frequently clashed. This disharmony would change, however, on a fateful spring morning.

Transformation

The massive earthquake and fire of 1906 destroyed most of San Francisco, affecting people from all races. This helped the residents to see the unity they shared in the form of their beloved city. San Francisco quickly and vigorously rebuilt itself, transforming into a modern centre of trade and culture. In the decades that followed, amazing engineering projects such as the Golden Gate Bridge were built which connected the compact city to the surrounding areas.

City of expression

Yet San Francisco never lost its sense of individualism and freedom, and continued to attract unique residents such as the Beatniks in the 1950s and the Hippies during the 1960s. The Beat Generation took the city to new literary heights, which peaked in the 1960s as the Hippies expanded the scene to include music, art, drugs and complete freedom of sexual, political and cultural expression. The Haight-Ashbury district was the place to be during the Summer of Love in 1967.

Carpe Diem

As the 1960s faded away, San Franciscos gay community stepped up to assert itself, helping to ensure the citys continued status as a place of open expression. The volatile nature of the regions earthquake-prone geography is an apt reflection of its residents. People come to San Francisco for the lifestyle, the stunning scenery and the incredible diversity which permeates every nook and cranny of this timeless City by the Bay. They live for the day, because each one could be their last.