Dame Shirley

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Using the pen name Dame Shirley, Louise Amelia Smith Clappe was the first acclaimed literary figure in the state's history, earning that status as the chronicler of life in the mining camps at the height of the Gold Rush. Coming to California from New England with her husband, who practiced medicine in the Sierra gold mining camps, she described the rugged life and the conflict among the diverse cultural groups with clarity and insight in a series of 23 letters written to her sister between 1851-52 and later published in the Pioneer, San Francisco's leading literary magazine of the time. She greatly influenced writers Bret Harte and Mark Twain.




Is California of 150 years ago anything like the state we live in today? You may have a lot of opinions about that already, but let's take some time to explore what additional ideas we might get from examining the World Wide Web. Working with a partner, decide who will look into the past and who will see what current issues relate to this historic leader. Your main task will be to skim through the Web sites, taking note of what facts, ideas, examples, and stories are the most interesting to you.

When you are finished, you and your partner will write several important questions that came to mind when you shared what you each learned about the past and present. When you are ready, click on the graphics below to get started.





You might have the opportunity to participate in a videoconference presented by an actual historian / actor portraying this early leader of California. This would be a great chance to pose your questions to a true expert. Would you like to find out more?

Background on the Actor / Historian

Kate Magruder grew up in Illinois and migrated to Northern California in the early 1970s. She was co-founder of Ukiah Players Theatre (UPT), a rural arts organization with a commitment to community-based programs. While artistic director at UPT, Magruder wrote and performed in "A More Perfect Union," a history play about the shaping of the U.S. Constitution. The production toured community colleges throughout the state, with funding from the California Council for the Humanities (CCH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Magruder served as a CCH board member from 1988 to 1992. She holds a B.A. in humanities from New College of California and is currently pursuing a master's degree in humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Potter Valley and teaches humanities and theatre arts at Mendocino College.




You have just explored Web sites on California's past and related current issues. You may have even had a chance to join in on a videoconference with a historical presenter. Now you and your partner can decide whether there is an "otherness" about the past, meaning something quite separate from life today, or whether there's a oneness that binds the present to the past. You can use the Insight Reflector page to guide your thinking.


Return to The Otherness of the Past homepage?




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Created May 1, 1999 - Last revised: February, 2005


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