Royce, J: CALIFORNIA

Cultural Writing. American West. History. Introduction by Ronald A. Wells. "This book is meant to help the reader toward an understanding of two things: namely, the modern American state of California, and our national character as displayed in that land"--Josiah Royce, 1886. 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 state's historic icons in order to present an honest view of the state's formative events and their causes. Josiah Royce's CALIFORNIA, published in 1886, is the prototype for this approach. With keen attention to detail, Royce produced a passionate narrative-at times ironic, at times outraged, at times in awe of pioneer courage-that sought to ground our history in truth and to reveal the moral consequences of the American conquest of Mexican California.