Voices from Colonial America: California 1542-1850

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Overview

California's rich history is traced for young readers: from its origins as a sparsely populated outpost of the Spanish empire in the 16th century to the frenzied westward migration of the 1850s. Young readers encounter England's Sir Francis Drake, who claimed the west coast for England, calling the land New Albion, and learn how the state was eventually named for a mythical island inhabited by female warriors.

Readers also learn how Spanish priests and settlers founded powerful ...

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Overview

California's rich history is traced for young readers: from its origins as a sparsely populated outpost of the Spanish empire in the 16th century to the frenzied westward migration of the 1850s. Young readers encounter England's Sir Francis Drake, who claimed the west coast for England, calling the land New Albion, and learn how the state was eventually named for a mythical island inhabited by female warriors.

Readers also learn how Spanish priests and settlers founded powerful Jesuit missions and presidios; how more Indians died in California's missions than were saved; how Russia became a threat to Spanish control, establishing a fort on the West Coast in 1812; and how California was affected by Mexico's independence from Spanish rule. Finally, they experience the gold fever that propelled California towards its entry into the Union as the 31st state in 1850.

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Editorial Reviews

VOYA - Angela Carstensen
These two volumes are part of the beautifully produced Voices from Colonial America series that currently includes books on each of the original thirteen colonies, as well as Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Each traces the history of the colony from the time of its first European settlers through officially becoming a state. The series title is appropriate. The authors make a point of weaving first-person accounts. The text is not written in sound bites but in full paragraphs, making up chronological chapters. These are divided into topical sections, which are clearly marked by large headings. This lovely, calm layout is liberally sprinkled with primary source illustrations, including reproductions of period maps, pamphlets, paintings, and drawings. California begins with the early Spanish explorers and ends with the Gold Rush. Most valuable are the sections on the early history, the development of the missions and pueblos, and how Spanish territory became part of the United States. Detailed coverage of the Mexican-American War and the Gold Rush will have to be found elsewhere. Here it is adequate in the context of state colonial history but brief. Delaware begins with the claiming of the region by Henry Hudson for the Dutch. Particularly interesting are the local perspectives on famous events leading up to the Revolution, such as the Stamp Act. It ends with Delaware becoming the first state to ratify the Constitution. Both volumes could use a clear map of the discussed regions so that students might follow along with the narrative as it moves from settlement to settlement or covers the importance of a region's geographical positioning. The period maps provided arenot clear enough for this purpose. End matter in both titles includes a time line, a list of Web sites, and a list of quote sources. The series is an essential purchase for schools with a colonies research project in grades six through nine and for the public libraries that support their communities.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-These attractive, informative titles will be useful for reports. They trace the various groups who have laid claim to or built settlements in these subject areas. In California, they include Spanish explorers extending from "New Spain" (Mexico); English sea captain Sir Francis Drake; Russian traders sailing down from Alaska; and American seamen, merchants, and overland settlers. Delaware describes how Dutch, English, Swedish, and Finnish settlers all laid claim to the land. Both titles describe the Native people who were living in the regions prior to the Europeans' arrival. When the Spanish came to California, their goal of converting the tribes to Christianity was paramount, and they essentially enslaved many Native Americans through the Mission system. In contrast, Dutch and Swedish explorers in Delaware made treaties with the Lenni-Lenape Indians, whereby the Europeans thought that they were gaining title to the land. All the Delaware tribes were eventually forced out. In both books, the appealing design incorporates a 1685 map on the endpapers. It shows what was known, leaving a big chunk of North America blank. Other historical maps provide context by illustrating changing and/or disputed borders. Full-color reproductions of paintings and drawings add visual interest, and time lines provide additional help for researchers.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
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Meet the Author

Robin Doak lives in Portland, CT.

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