Author: Gary Clayton Anderson Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press ISBN: 0806149051 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 287
Book Description
As the army’s topographical engineer in California from 1849 to 1851, George Horatio Derby wrote detailed reports on the region, its people, its resources, and its geography—providing critical information for an understaffed military charged with bringing order to a vast new empire along the Pacific Slope. Early maps and reports by pioneers, trappers, and newspapermen, even by such professionals as John C. Frémont and William Emory, were limited in scope and often unreliable. In contrast, those authored by Derby and the army’s other trained topographical engineers were remarkably accurate, extensive, and richly descriptive. Long buried in the files of the National Archives, they have also remained largely unknown, even to historians. Collected and reproduced here for the first time, these journals and maps offer a new and unique perspective on California in the mid-nineteenth century. Derby’s reports and journals appear alongside those of Robert Stockton Williamson, William H. Warner, Edward O. C. Ord, Nathaniel Lyon, Henry Walton Wessells, and Erasmus Darwin Keyes. These documents offer extraordinary firsthand views of the environment, natural resources, geography, and early settlement, as well as the effects of disease on Native and white populations. The writers’ detailed, often witty insights offer new understandings of life in California during an era of momentous change. Historian Gary Clayton Anderson and anthropologist Laura Lee Anderson provide historical, geographic, and biographical context in the book’s introduction and in headnotes and annotations for each journal. With these editorial enhancements, the documents reveal as much of the character of their authors and their time as of the land and peoples they so carefully describe.
Author: Mae Ngai Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company ISBN: 0393634175 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 455
Book Description
Winner of the 2022 Bancroft Prize Shortlisted for the 2022 Cundill History Prize Finalist for the 2022 Los Angeles Times Book Prize How Chinese migration to the world’s goldfields upended global power and economics and forged modern conceptions of race. In roughly five decades, between 1848 and 1899, more gold was removed from the earth than had been mined in the 3,000 preceding years, bringing untold wealth to individuals and nations. But friction between Chinese and white settlers on the goldfields of California, Australia, and South Africa catalyzed a global battle over “the Chinese Question”: would the United States and the British Empire outlaw Chinese immigration? This distinguished history of the Chinese diaspora and global capitalism chronicles how a feverish alchemy of race and money brought Chinese people to the West and reshaped the nineteenth-century world. Drawing on ten years of research across five continents, prize-winning historian Mae Ngai narrates the story of the thousands of Chinese who left their homeland in pursuit of gold, and how they formed communities and organizations to help navigate their perilous new world. Out of their encounters with whites, and the emigrants’ assertion of autonomy and humanity, arose the pernicious western myth of the “coolie” laborer, a racist stereotype used to drive anti-Chinese sentiment. By the turn of the twentieth century, the United States and the British Empire had answered “the Chinese Question” with laws that excluded Chinese people from immigration and citizenship. Ngai explains how this happened and argues that Chinese exclusion was not extraneous to the emergent global economy but an integral part of it. The Chinese Question masterfully links important themes in world history and economics, from Europe’s subjugation of China to the rise of the international gold standard and the invention of racist, anti-Chinese stereotypes that persist to this day.
Author: Aaron Gilbreath Publisher: U of Nebraska Press ISBN: 1496223101 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 293
Book Description
2022 Oregon Book Award Finalist A vivid journey through California’s vast rural interior, The Heart of California weaves the story of historian Frank Latta’s forgotten 1938 boat trip from Bakersfield to San Francisco with Aaron Gilbreath’s trip retracing Latta’s route by car during the 2014 drought. Latta embarked on his journey to publicize the need for dams and levees to improve flood control. Gilbreath made his own trip to profile Latta and the productive agricultural world that damming has created in the San Joaquin Valley, to describe the region’s nearly lost indigenous culture and ecosystems, and to bring this complex yet largely ignored landscape to life. The Valley is home to some of California’s fastest growing cities and, by some estimates, produces 25 percent of America’s food. The Valley feeds too many people, and is too unique, to be ignored. To understand California, you have to understand the Valley. Mixing travel writing, historical recreations, western history, natural history, and first-person reportage, The Heart of California is a road-trip narrative about this fascinating region and its most important early documentarian.
Author: Therese Harasymiw Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing LLC ISBN: 1534561374 Category : Juvenile Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 106
Book Description
Readers may know the basic facts about the creation of the first transcontinental railroad, but the full story behind the push to connect the United States by rail is much more than the names and dates taught in history classes. Readers discover the exciting, important details—including the contributions of immigrants—as they encounter engaging main text, comprehensive sidebars, and historical images that include carefully chosen primary sources. These text features come together to give readers an in-depth look at the first successful attempt to connect the United States through transportation.
Author: Kathleen W. Craver Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield ISBN: 1475810520 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 209
Book Description
History and social sciences educators have been charged with ensuring that our students are quantitatively literate. Being able to integrate research data in the form of graphs, charts, and tables and deconstruct quantitative evidence to address questions and solve problems is no longer the domain of mathematicians. Being quantitatively literate is considered an educational imperative in a data-drenched world that holds so many employment challenges. The internet contains a treasure trove of valid and reliable sources of quantitative data that history and social sciences teachers can easily use to satisfy the quantitative literacy requirements of the National Common Core Standards. This book features 85 interesting and exciting multi-century and multicultural web sites that are accompanied by numerical critical thinking questions and activities. Teachers can pose the questions to their entire class or individually assign them. It also contains lists of best practices and examples for interpreting, visualizing, and displaying quantitative data. History and social sciences educators will find this book an indispensable tool for incorporating numerical literacy skills into their class activities and assignments.
Author: Roger F. Robison Publisher: Springer ISBN: 3319118307 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 271
Book Description
Presented here is the story of the mining and sale of uranium and radium ore through biographical vignettes, chemistry, physics, geology, geography, occupational health, medical utilization, environmental safety and industrial history. Included are the people and places involved over the course of over 90 years of interconnected mining and sale of radium and uranium, finally ending in 1991 with the abandonment of radium paint and medical devices, Soviet nuclear parity, and the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
Author: E. Gould Buffum Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan ISBN: Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 123
Book Description
Welcome to the gripping world of E. Gould Buffum's "Six Months in the Gold Mines," where adventure meets historical exploration amidst the untamed landscapes of Upper and Lower California in the late 1840s. Prepare to be enthralled by this riveting account of the California Gold Rush, as seen through the eyes of a passionate observer and participant. Join E. Gould Buffum on an exhilarating journey through the heart of the California Gold Rush, where he vividly recounts his three-year residence during the years 1847-1849. Experience the highs and lows of life in the gold mines, from the thrill of discovery to the challenges of survival in a rugged and often unforgiving environment. Buffum's narrative is rich with detail, offering profound insights into the human condition and the indomitable spirit of those who sought fortune in the gold mines. Through engaging character development and compelling plot points, he brings to life the diverse cast of individuals he encountered, each with their unique dreams, struggles, and triumphs. The themes of ambition, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of success are expertly woven throughout the story, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the era's social and economic dynamics. Buffum's keen observations and eloquent prose invite readers to reflect on the broader implications of the Gold Rush and its lasting impact on American history. With its vivid descriptions and captivating storytelling, "Six Months in the Gold Mines" sets a tone of adventure and discovery that keeps readers eagerly turning pages. From the bustling mining camps to the serene beauty of California's wilderness, Buffum paints a vivid portrait of a bygone era filled with excitement and challenge. Since its publication, "Six Months in the Gold Mines" has received acclaim for its authentic depiction of the Gold Rush and its compelling narrative. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to transport readers to a pivotal moment in history, offering timeless insights and universal truths that resonate across generations. As you delve into Buffum's world, you'll find yourself drawn to its vibrant characters, thought-provoking themes, and engaging storytelling. His meticulous attention to detail and his ability to craft a powerful narrative make this memoir a cherished read for history enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike. In conclusion, "Six Months in the Gold Mines" is more than just a historical account—it's a timeless exploration of human ambition, resilience, and the quest for prosperity that continues to captivate readers with its richly drawn characters and profound insights. Whether you're a history buff or discovering this classic for the first time, prepare to be swept away by the magic of E. Gould Buffum's enduring narrative. Don't miss your chance to experience the excitement and intrigue of the California Gold Rush. Let "Six Months in the Gold Mines" transport you to a world of adventure, perseverance, and historical discovery. Grab your copy now and join the legions of readers who have been captivated by Buffum's literary brilliance.
Author: Orville B. Shelburne Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press ISBN: 0806167939 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 313
Book Description
The 1848 treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ended the Mexican-American War described a boundary between the two countries that was to be ascertained by a joint boundary commission effort. The section of the boundary along the Rio Grande from Presidio to the mouth of the Pecos River was arguably the most challenging, and it was surveyed by two American parties, one led by civilian surveyor M. T. W. Chandler in 1852, and the second led by Lieutenant Nathaniel Michler in 1853. Our understanding of these two surveys across the greater Big Bend has long been limited to the official reports and maps housed in the National Archives and never widely published. The discovery by Orville B. Shelburne of the journal kept by Dr. Charles C. Parry, surgeon-botanist-geologist for the 1852 party, has dramatically enriched the story by giving us a firsthand view of the Chandler boundary survey as it unfolded. Parry’s journal forms the basis of From Presidio to the Pecos River, which documents the day-to-day working of the survey teams. The story Shelburne tells is one of scientific exploration under duress—surveyors stranded in towering canyons overnight without food or shelter; piloting inflatable rubber boats down wild rivers; rising to the challenges of a profoundly remote area, including the possibility of Indian attack. Shelburne’s comparison of the original boundary maps with their modern counterparts reveals the limitations of terrain and equipment on the survey teams. Shelburne's book provides a window on the adventure, near disaster, and true accomplishment of the surveyors’ work in documenting the course of the Rio Grande across the Big Bend region.
Author: Gary Clayton Anderson
Author: Mae Ngai
Author: Anthony F. Turhollow
Author: United States Engineers Corps
Author: Aaron Gilbreath
Author: Therese Harasymiw
Author: Kathleen W. Craver
Author: Roger F. Robison
Author: E. Gould Buffum
Author: Orville B. Shelburne