These resolutions were passed five months before the State was admitted
into the Union. If the Senators and Representatives were not yet
actually" in Congress" - well, they were at least in Washington - and
busy. The desire to be admitted into the Union had developed into a
yearning to be considered a part of the Union, had ripened into the
conviction that the State was, potentially at least, actually a part of
the Union, a yearning and a conviction that became almost pathetic in
their intensity. The Legislature adjourned, and for nearly five months
the population of San Francisco assembled on the Plaza on the arrival of
every Panama steamer, waiting - waiting - waiting for the answer, which,
when it did come in the following October, was celebrated with an
abandon of joy that has never been equaled on any succeeding Ninth of
September.

It is indefensible that in the face of incidents of our history such as
these Californians should be ignorant of the lives and experiences of
those who preceded them on this coast. The history of their experiences
is a part of the history of the nation, and the record of the
achievement of the empire-builders of this coast is one that inspires
civic pride and a reverence for their memories. Why should the story
remain practically unknown? Why should every little unimportant detail
of the petty incidents of Queen Anne's War, and King Philip's War, and
Braddock's campaign be crammed into the heads of children who until
lately never heard the name of Portola? The beautiful story of Paul
Revere's ride is known to everyone, but how many know the story of the
invincible determination in the building of Ugarte's ship[8]? William
Penn's honest treatment of the Indians is a household word to people who
never knew of the existence of Galvez or Junipero Serra. The story of
the hardships of the New England pilgrims in the first winter on the
"stern and rock-bound coast" of Massachusetts, is not more pitiful than