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title

Californio Voices

The Oral Memoirs of Jose Maria Amador and Lorenzo Asisara

Translated and edited by Gregorio Mora-Torres

Publication Year: 2005

In the early 1870s, Hubert H. Bancroft and his assistants set out to record the memoirs of early Californios, one of them being eighty-three-year-old Don José María Amador, a former “Forty-Niner” during the California Gold Rush and soldado de cuera at the Presidio of San Francisco. Amador tells of reconnoitering expeditions into the interior of California, where he encountered local indigenous populations. He speaks of political events of Mexican California and the widespread confiscation of the Californios’ goods, livestock, and properties when the United States took control. A friend from Mission Santa Cruz, Lorenzo Asisara, also describes the harsh life and mistreatment the Indians faced from the priests. Both the Amador and Asisara narratives were used as sources in Bancroft’s writing but never published themselves. Gregorio Mora-Torres has now rescued them from obscurity and presents their voices in English translation (with annotations) and in the original Spanish on facing pages. This bilingual edition will be of great interest to historians of the West, California, and Mexican American studies. “This book presents a very convincing and interesting narrative about Mexican California. Its frankness and honesty are refreshing.”–Richard Griswold del Castillo, San Diego State University

Published by: University of North Texas Press

Cover

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Title Page, Copyright, Dedication

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Contents

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pp. vii-

Illustrations, pp. 98–109

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pp. viii-

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Acknowledgments

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pp. ix-x

This work is the product of collaboration by numerous people and institutions. I would like to thank The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley for giving me permission to publish José María Amador’s Memorias sobre la Historia de California. I would like to express my appreciation

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Editor’s Introduction

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pp. 1-29

My connection with the memoirs of Don Jos� Mar�a Amador was established quite unexpectedly. In the early 1990s, I started assisting a group of scholars from Stanford University who were working on a research project on the Chicano/Latino community of the Santa Clara Valley. The project researchers were studying various aspects of the Chicano/Latino community ...

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CAP�TULO 1. LA VIDA DE LOS SOLDADOS DE CUERA EN ElPRESIDIO DE SAN FRANCISCO

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pp. 30-77

Yo, Jos� Ma. Amador, nac� en el presidio de San Francisco, el a�o de 1781. Tengo en la actualidad 96 a�os, y gracias a la Divina Providencia, conservo a�n una memoria bastante fresca, y un recuerdo de los sucesos antiguos de mi pa�s.1 Fueron mis padres el Alf�rez Don Pedro Amador y Mar�a Ramona Noriega.2 El primero fue natural de la vieja Espa�a y la ...

CAP�TULO 2. LOS RECUERDOS DE LORENZO ASISARA Y JOS�MAR�A AMADOR SOBRE LA MUERTE DEEl PADRE ANDR�S QUINTANA [Includes Image Plates]

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pp. 78-109

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CAPÍTULO 3. LOS RECUERDOS DE LORENZO ASISARA Y JOSÉMARÍA AMADOR SOBRE LA VIDA EN CALIFORNIADURANTE El RÉGIMEN MEXICANO, 1822–1846

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pp. 110-199

Me acuerdo de cuando en el a�o de 1821 se enarbol� la bandera de la independa. en Cal. Vino un comisionado especial de la regencia del imperio de M�xico a efectuar el cambio. Era Gobr. todav�a Dn. Pablo Vicente de Sol� quien jur� la independencia, y la hizo jurar a las tropas y al pueblo. Yo me hallaba a la saz�n sirviendo en la campa. de cuera de San Francisco, cuando ...

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CAP�TULO 4. OTRAS REMEMBRANZAS DE DON JOS� MAR�A AMADOR

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pp. 200-237

Anoche se me vino a la memoria una ocurrencia que sucedi� en el pueblo de San Jos� con el Gobr. Sol�. Estaba de comisionado el Sargto. Luis Peralta. Yo estaba de guardia, pues formaba parte del destacamto. Lleg� de visita procedente de Monterey el Gobr. Sol�. El Sargto. Peralta toc� la caja para llamar a toda la gente que viniesen a saludar al Gobr. que los quer�a ver. Vino toda la ...

GLOSSARY

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pp. 238-244

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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pp. 245-253

INDEX

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pp. 254-262


E-ISBN-13: 9781574414073
Print-ISBN-13: 9781574411911

Page Count: 272
Illustrations: 11 b&w illus., 1 map
Publication Year: 2005

Series Title: Al Filo: Mexican American Studies Series

Research Areas

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Subject Headings

  • Indians, Treatment of -- California -- History -- 19th century.
  • Indians of North America -- Missions -- California -- History -- 19th century.
  • California -- History -- To 1846 -- Biography.
  • Mexicans -- California -- Interviews.
  • California -- Ethnic relations.
  • California -- History -- 1846-1850 -- Biography.
  • Amador, José Mariá, 1794-1883 -- Interviews.
  • Frontier and pioneer life -- California.
  • Asisara, Lorenzo, b. 1819 -- Interviews.
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