Californio Voices: The Oral Memoirs of Jose Maria Amador and Lorenzo Asisara Book

In the early 1870s, historical writer and publisher Hubert Bancroft sent research assistants out to record the memoirs of early Californians. Amador, 83, offered details spanning a lifetime, from his childhood to his labors as a Forty-Niner in the California Gold Rush and dwelling on the major political events of his day. During one interview he invited his friend Asisara, a former neophyte from Mission Santa Cruz, to describe the harsh life and mistreatment that the Indians faced from priests. Bancroft used the narratives as sources for his own writing but never published them. Here they appear in the original Spanish on verso pages, with the English translation on the recto. Contemporary illustrations in b&w provide a nice accent. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR