California: The Great Exception

By Carey McWilliams

‘California: The Great Expectation’, written in 1949, is a history of the state of California from the Gold Rush through the post-World War II years.  Carey McWilliams is not only a historian but a social critic with definite opinions about the course of California and prospects for its future.  It is interesting to reflect on California history for the last sixty years since the book was published.

In the author’s opinion, the Gold Rush was the seminal event of the history of the state.  As a result, the population soared as immigrants from around the world sought their fortune.  In a little over two and a half years, California went from a lightly populated and isolated spot in the world to the 31st state of the Union, firmly establishing the United States on the Pacific coast confirming its Manifest Destiny.  California quickly dominated the West with the liquidity of its gold that financed capital-intensive silver and copper mining throughout the West.  

This discussion of the effects of the Gold Rush provides a ‘Mother Lode’ of information for the docents of Homestead Museum as they discuss events in the Workman House.

The author also explains how California’s geography (including weather) helped make it a leading player in the world, notwithstanding on-going problems of immigration, water and energy.  Sixty years after Carey McWilliams wrote about these problems, California has reached into the West to solve its energy needs, but still struggles with immigration and water.