World of Darkness: San Francisco
From Gothpoodle
A World of Darkness campaign set in modern San Francisco and the surrounding bay area.
Contents |
History
Native Period (pre-1776)
The Yelamu indian tribe occupied the area in small villages along the peninsula. Much of the area was marsh, dune scrub, and grasslands, the latter supporting deer and elk. The charactistic fog caused initial European explorers to miss the bay entirely.
Spanish Period (1776-1822)
The Presidio de San Francisco and Mission San Francisco de Assisi were established during a colonization drive to prevent British and Russian occupation of the west coast. The goal of the settlement was to enslave and control the native population, guard the frontier, and act as a focus for further colonization. Five other missions, four pueblos, and many ranchos were founded in the area after this initial settlement. The local environment was changed by the introduction of cattle and sheep as well as the cutting down of the few trees for use in building.
In 1792 British explorer George Vancouver set up a small settlement near the village of Yerba Buena (later downtown San Francisco) which became a small base for English, Russian, and other European fur traders, explorers, and settlers.
Mexican Period (1822-1847)
The Mexican Revolution didn't have great effect on the settlement other than to lead to the abandonment of the Presidio by Mexican forces, who moved north to Sonoma. With the population of local native tribes dwindling due to disease and poverty, other tribes from the area were brought into the missions, freeing up their land for ranching and destroying their distinct cultures. American forces moved in during their war with Mexico and were formally ceded the territory two years later by treaty.
Barbary Coast (1847-1906)
U.S. naval forces claimed the area in January of 1847 and renamed the settlement San Francisco. The California gold rush occurred just a year later and San Francisco went from a village to a city in the course of a year. Growing pains included extreme lawlessness, massive fires destroying large parts of the city, a cholera epidemic, an outbreak of bubonic plague, and intense racial tension leading to riots and eventually legislation restricting Chinese immigration. During this period, the waterfront was referred to as the Barbary Coast, a reference to the pirates and slavers of North Africa.
Reconstruction (1906-1950)
Around 80% of the city was destroyed during the Earthquake of 1906 and the fire that burned for several days afterwards. The newly-rebuilt city left behind much of the corruption, violence, and other troubles of its difficult first half-century. The Panama-Pacific Exposition was held a decade later and the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge were build in the 30s.
Counterculture (1950-1980)
The Beat Generation, hippies, radical politics, Church of Satan, gays and lesbians.
Decline (1980-1990)
AIDS, homelessness, Manhattanization, 1989 Earthquake
Dot-Com Boom (1990-2000)
Gentrification, influx of tech and marketing folk
Present (post-2000)
Dot-Com Bust, loss of 30,000 people in just a few years, abandonment of bustling areas
