Discover the People, Places, and Pivotal Moments of California's early days This engaging historical narrative traces life before and after the Spanish arrival, from Indian daily routines to the founding of missions and the rise of presidios along the Pacific. Rich in detail and accessible for general readers, it brings early California to life with clear storytelling and period context.
This edition balances vivid scenes with documentary clarity, letting readers follow the contests, collaborations, and challenges that shaped the region. Through vivid sketches of daily life, mission life, and frontier diplomacy, the story shows how cultures met, endured, and changed the landscape of the Southwest.
- Portraits of Indigenous communities and their ways of life before contact with Europeans
- Accounts of mission life, baptism, and the first encounters between natives and settlers
- Turning points in early California governance and the politics of colonial borders
- Observations of exploration, settlement, and the complex relationships that formed the region
Ideal for readers of American history and people curious about the cultural and geographic birth of California.