Customer Reviews

Conquests and Historical Identities in California, 1769-1936

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I would give this book 10 stars if I could. It provides such a detailed account of the history of Native, Spanish, Mexican, and American settlers in southern California that you get a clear picture of how history developed from the time of the Spanish settlement until 1936. There is a combination of both factual data such as early census data and personal accounts that bring to life the many changes that occurred over the period of 1769-1936. The book focuses on the area around Mission San Juan Capistrano, but I am sure that a similar pattern occurred in most areas south of there. Without placing undue blame on the American capitalist wealth creation culture, this book documents how both the Native and the Californio cultures were unable to survive in a money driven economy. It also decribes how race was defined, first to the detriment of the Natives and then to the detriment of the Californios. I would recommend this book and Thrown Among Strangers by Douglas Monroy to anyone interested in early southern California history.