Thomas O. Larkin: A Life of Patriotism and Profit in Old California [Paperback]

Harlan Hague (Author), David J. Langum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1995

Arriving in Mexican California in 1832, Thomas O. Larkin (1802-1858) expected to become a rich man-and he did: he became a successful merchant, financier, and land developer. Larkin also became the confidant of California officials, American consul to California, and secret agent of the president of the United States during the territory’s transition from Mexican to American control. Harlan Hague and David Langum have uncovered a large body of new information, shedding light on many aspects of Larkin’s personal life as well as on his business and diplomatic activities. Historians and general readers will welcome this full-scale biography of one of the most important men in the history of early California.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Long before the Beach Boys, there was the "California Dream," and New England-born Larkin was among the first to pursue it. In 1832, as a young man without a formal education, Larkin traveled to desolate Mexican California in search of his fortune. First as a merchant in Monterey and later as a land speculator who worked largely in booming San Francisco, he became extremely wealthy before his death in 1858. Depicted as a patriot and "gentle imperialist" in this tedious bigoraphy that lacks analysis and color, Larkin served as U.S. consul and secret agent during the ticklish Americanization process in 1846-1847. Hague and Langum are the authors of, respectively, Road to California and Law and Community on the Mexican California Frontier.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Harlan Hague taught history at San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, California. He is the author of Road to California and currently is editing a collection of Larkin letters.

David J Langum is Professor of Law in the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama. He is the author of Crossing Over the Line: Legislating Morality and the Mann Act and Law and Community on the Mexican California Frontier (University of Oklahoma Press).

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (March 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806127333
• ISBN-13: 978-0806127330
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,098,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have published history, prize-winning biography, travel and fiction. I turned lately to screenwriting. Travel and writing are complementary obsessions that are also most rewarding. For more on who I am and what I do, see my web site at http://softadventure.net. I'll be happy to respond to comment and questions.