Bidwell's life finally receives a thorough and unbiased
treatment in this new biography. Combining narrative and extensive
use of Bidwell's voluminous written legacy, John Bidwell and
California sheds new light on both the man and his times. It is a
must for every reader interested in overland travel, the Gold Rush,
Western pioneers and California history.
A thoughtful and even visionary man of deep convictions,
balanced by practical common sense, Bidwell was blessed with keen
powers of observation and a gift for prose. His published and
unpublished work treats just about every imaginable aspect of life
in California between 1841 and 1900.
From the moment he set out for California in 1841 with the
Bidwell-Bartleson Party, Bidwell assumed a leading role in the
history of California and the West. Of all the American pioneers
who settled in California before the gold rush, none enjoyed more
subsequent fame and success than Bidwell, and none made as great a
contribution to the state's economic, political, and cultural
development during the late nineteenth century.
A veteran of the Bear Flag Revolt and the Mexican War, Bidwell
was among the first of the fortunate few who struck it rich in the
California gold rush. The pastoral empire he went on to establish
at Rancho Chico, the chief and constant labor of his life, served
for decades as a model farm, making numerous contributions to
California agriculture between 1850 and 1900.
Bidwell pursued a career of public service capped by his famous
but largely ceremonial campaign for the Presidency in 1892 at the
head of the Prohibition party ticket. Before that, he had served in
the California state senate and the United States House of
Representatives; run four times for governor; held three important
gubernatorial appointments; laid out the city of Chico; and founded
what became today's California State University, Chico.
Despite this impressive record of achievement, Bidwell has
received remarkably little attention from historians. John Bidwell
and California is an objective look at the man and his times,
debunking the celebratory school which produced earlier
biographies.
Interaction with Indians and Chinese. Bidwell's attitudes and
behavior towards Indians seem to have been governed by a complex
blend of curiosity, humanitarianism, and pragmatic self-interest.
His continuous employment of Chinese on his rancho brought the
threat of violence to his very doorstep on more than one occasion.
Two chapters explore these complex subjects.
A "Bidwell Bibliography" of sixteen pages is included, providing
a thorough guide to sources, both published and unpublished.
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