Final answer:
The statement that California required physical education in schools in the 1850s is false. During that time, California was managing its new status as a state and issues like school segregation, with no significant focus on mandated physical education.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that California was the first state to require physical education in schools in the 1850s is false. During the 1850s, California was focused on managing the repercussions of the gold rush, settling its status as a free state under the Compromise of 1850, and dealing with issues related to slavery and regional politics. It was an era of significant social and political development, but the record does not indicate that California mandated physical education in its schools at this time. California's efforts in education during the early statehood period were not prominently directed towards physical education, and it is unlikely that such a mandate existed amidst the larger concerns of state formation and governance.
In 1850, California underwent major changes as it was admitted to the Union as a state, post the gold rush that surged its population and necessitated an organized government. The state's early educational laws allowed for separate schools for Native American children and those of "Chinese, Japanese, or Mongolian" heritage. However, nothing in the historical documents from that time suggests that California instituted physical education as a requirement in the same period.