Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Commonwealth Club of California Podcast
Episode: Michael Hiltzik: Golden State—The Making of California
Description: California has long reigned as the land of plenty, a place where the sun always shines and opportunity always beckons. Even prior to its statehood in 1850, it captured the world’s imagination. We think of bearded prospectors lured by the promise of gold. We imagine its early embrace of immigrant labor during the railroad boom as prologue to its diverse social fabric today. But what lies underneath the myths is far more complicated.Thanks to his extensive research, Michael Hiltzik uncovers the unvarnished truth about the state we think we know well. From the Sp...