Irvine Park Characters 2

A woman born into slavery in 1818 who won her freedom and became a successful landowner in Los Angeles

• Biddy Mason

• Bernarda Ruiz

An entrepreneur who invented durable denim pants for miners

• John C Fremont

• Levi Strauss

Led several expeditions to California and wrote many reports that made Americans interested in coming to the west.

• James Beckworth

• John C Freemont

An author who wrote about the poor treatment of the California Indians

• Helen Hunt Jackson

• Mary Tape

A Mexican born in California who was very powerful in the 1840's

• Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo

• Sam Brannon

A Chinese immigrant who worked toward the fair treatment of Asian-Americans

• Mary Tape

• Helen Hunt Jackson

An African American guide who led settlers through a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada

• James Beckworth

• John C Fremont

An entrepreneur who made money selling mining tools during the Gold Rush

• Sam Brannon

• Levi Strauss

Helped arrange a peace meeting between Mexico and the United States

• Mary Tape

• Bernarda Ruiz