California: A Study of American Character : From the Conquest in 1846 to the Second Vigilance Committee in San Francisco (California Legacy Book)

Chronicling Californias early history California has recently been blessed with a number of careful and colorful works by authors who do not hesitate at–and perhaps even enjoy–shattering the states historic icons in order to present an honest view of the states formative events and their causes. Josiah Royces California published in 1886 is the prototype for this approach. In chronicling Californias early history Royces intensely moral nature led him to among other things question and eventually debunk the glory attached to John C. Fremont and the Bear Flag Rebellion. With keen attention to detail Royce produced a passionate narrative–at times ironic at times outraged at times in awe of pioneer courage–that is admired to this day. Preferring fact to myth and optimism to despair he sought to ground our history in truth and to reveal the moral consequences of the American conquest of Mexican California.