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Jovanna Garcia

Professor Batty

English 101

28 May 2018

The Forgotten: African American History in California

During the settlement and development era of California, African Americans helped build

California. Unfortunately, little is documented about their contributions in California during

1849 to 1950. As a result, an African American artist, Hale Woodruff, decided to paint a mural

in honor of African Americans. His mural is called The Negro in California History: Settlement

and Development. The mural has many events happening at once like a panorama. The

panoramic style is to showcase the different events that happened during that time. Woodruff

intended to make a social statement that African Americans made an impact in California during

1850 to 1949. Although some people know California was settled by the Spanish, Woodruff’s

mural shows African Americans also contributed to the history of California through his

portrayal of Mary Ellen Pleasant, the Convention of Colored Citizens, the Gold Rush, and

California’s Industrial evolution.

Mary Ellen Pleasant contributed to California’s history with her involvement in the Civil

Rights movement and Harper’s Ferry raid. In the mural, Mary Ellen Pleasant is the woman

standing at a rally for the Convention of Colored Citizens. Woodruff painted her with a red dress

to make her stand out from the rest of the crowd. He represents her like this because she was an

important civil rights activist. During her involvement with the Civil Rights movement she won

many court cases. For example, one case helped end racial discrimination on trolleys in San

Francisco (MacLean). Another case she took part in gave African Americans the right to testify
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and be heard in California courts (MacLean). Mary also helped African Americans escape

slavery through the Underground Railroad in California. In addition, she aided the abolitionist

movement by providing “John Brown with the rifles used in the historic raid on Harper’s Ferry”

(Morgan 82). In other words, she helped John Brown financially since she was a rich woman.

The Harper’s Ferry raid is represented in the mural through a man holding a rifle while kneeling.

He is also wearing a red scarf which signifies the importance of the Harper’s Ferry raid on

slavery. In front of him is a box full of rifles as he is holding the rifle diagonally. The diagonal

position of the rifle implies tension and motion. Which connects to the tension between slaves

and slave owners at the time. In turn, the attack on Harper’s Ferry represents the motion of a

slave revolt in an effort to end slavery. As a result, Mary’s involvement in the Civil Rights

movement earned her the name of “Mother of Civil Rights in California”. Just like she helped

African Americans, the Convention of Colored Citizens also focused on African American Civil

Rights.

The Convention of Colored Citizens of the state of California also fought for African

American rights. The purpose of the California Conventions was to fight for Civil Rights. As

well as, to bring awareness of the violence towards African Americans by Europeans. As seen on

the mural the convention is depicted as a big rally full of people with protesting signs. At the

center is a man holding a fist up while pointing at a book with his other hand. All the people

gathered around him are protesting for equality and Civil Rights. One of the signs, being held by

a man that is sitting down, says, “let us own homes”. This sign tells the story of how African

American’s were denied the right to own houses and land. Another sign being held up by a man

and a woman reads, “open schools to our children”. This is a reference to when African
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Americans were denied the right to an education. In brief, the Convention of Colored Citizens of

1856 fought for these rights during and after the California Gold Rush.

The era of the Gold Rush is another representation of African American history in

California. The Gold Rush is represented in the mural with an African American man mining for

gold. The man’s red shirt points out the importance of the Gold Rush on California history for

African Americans. During this era, many slaves were brought to California by their slave

owners. The purpose of this was to have their slaves find gold for them in exchange for their

freedom. Upon finding gold, slaves were able to buy their freedom during the Gold Rush. For

example, the African American miner in the mural obtained his freedom after finding gold. As

seen in the wall painting, a European man in a black coat with a top hat is handing the miner a

paper. This paper indicates that “he has purchased his freedom through his work as a prospector”

(Morgan 82). Marking the end of his enslavement and the beginning of his new life as a free

man. At the same time, this event represents the many slaves who also gained their freedom upon

finding gold. In the end, the Gold Rush provided African American slaves with their freedom

which gave them the opportunity to be part of California’s Industrial evolution.

African Americans contributed to California’s Industrial evolution as shown on

Woodruff’s mural. For example, there are four men building San Francisco’s Golden Gate

Bridge on the top right of the mural. To the left of them is another group of four men building

the Boulder Dam. These men can be seen pulling on ropes to lift materials up the metal tower

behind them. Next, there is an African American man delivering mail as a Pony Express rider.

Behind the Pony Express rider there are two sailors and a boat. One of the sailors is sea captain

William Shorey. He is wearing a red shirt to represent his accomplishment of being the only

African American sea captain on the West Coast at that time. At the center-left, there’s an inside
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view of a newspaper office called the Elevator. This newspaper was created in 1865 by Philip

Bell an African American journalist. Below the newspaper office are four African American

soldiers with rifles watching over Chinese workers. The Chinese workers are building the

transcontinental railroad. Meanwhile, on the right side of the mural are two men looking at

blueprints at a construction site. The building they are constructing is the Golden State Mutual

Life Insurance Company. Which is the same place where Hale Woodruff’s mural is located.

Also, the building is the first company to be owned by an African American during 1925. In

conclusion, African Americans contributed to California’s Industrial evolution despite the

struggles they faced of discrimination.

Overall, Woodruff’s mural represents the social impact African Americans made in

California from 1850 to 1949. The contribution of Mary Ellen Pleasant as an African American

Civil Rights activist helped end racial discrimination on San Francisco trolleys. She also aided

slaves escaping from slavery, and the Harper Ferry’s raid. Likewise, the Convention of Colored

Citizens fought for the right of African Americans to an education and to own land. Similarly,

the California Gold Rush provided slaves with the opportunity to buy their freedom. Lastly, the

mural depicts African Americans taking part in California’s Industrial evolution. In the end, this

mural leaves a message to not forget the African American contributions, accomplishments,

struggles, and their hard work in California.

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Works Cited

MacLean, Maggie. “Mary Ellen Pleasant.” Civil War Women, 5 Jan. 2013,

www.civilwarwomenblog.com/mary-ellen-pleasant/.

Morgan, Stacy I. Rethinking Social Realism: African American Art and Literature, 1930-1953.

Athens, Ga. [u.a.: Univ. of Georgia Press, 2004. Print.