This volume is a collection of primary documents of the writings of early California settlers. Taking the point of view of the Indians, settlers, missionaries, soldiers, and others who lived there, the editors offer letters, reports, reminiscences, and other documents that tell the inside story of California before the Gold Rush, from the time the Spanish arrived in the 1530s until the end of California's experience as a territory in the Mexican republic in the 1840s. This work is illustrated with maps, portraits, sketches, and early photographs as well as seven color plates of drawings depicting plant and animal life made by an 18th-century Czech priest.

pt. 1: Exploration. 1492 : The first meeting / Christopher Columbus -- 1510 : The invention of "California" / Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo -- 1513 : Conflict in the Caribbean / Bartolomé de las Casas -- 1514 : The task of conversion / The Requerimiento -- 1519 : The market in Tenochtithin / Bernal Díaz del Castillo -- 1521 : The conquest of Mexico / Aztec Poems -- 1535 : Taking possession of California / Hernn Cortés -- 1542 : Ensenada and San Diego / Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo -- 1602-1603 : Monterey Bay / Sebastin Vizcaíno -- 1620 : The first plan for missions in California / Antonio de Ascención -- California as an island -- pt. 2: Colonization. 1697 : A permanent Spanish presence in California / Juan María de Salvatierra -- 1716 : A foray into the wilderness / Francisco María Piccolo -- 1734 : Indian rebellion / Sigismundo Taraval -- 1744 : Tensions between missionaries and soldiers / Juan Antonio Balthasar -- 1744 : Life in the missions / Sebastión de Sistiaga -- 1760s : The natural and social world of California / Miguel del Barco -- 1768 : The decision to move farther north /José de Gálvez -- 1769 : A beachhead at San Diego / Miguel Costansó -- 1769 : The Santa Barbara Channel / Juan Crespí -- 1769 : Searching for Monterey / Gaspar de Portolá -- 1770 : A beachhead at Monterey / Junípero Serra -- 1771 : Encounter at San Gabriel / Francisco Palóu -- 1772 : The division between Alta and Baja California / Rafael Verger, Juan Pedro de lriarte, and Francisco Palóu -- pt. 3: Settlements. 1772 : Soldiers and Indians / Luis Jayme -- 1773 : The Presidio at Monterey / Pedro Faaes -- 1773 : Trip to Mexico City / Junípero Serra -- 1775 : Encounter in San Francisco Bay / Vicente de Santa María -- 1775 : Rebellion at San Diego / Vicente Fuster -- 1776 : The San Francisco Bay region / Pedro Font -- 1776 : The beginnings of San Francisco / Francisco Palóu -- 1779 : Rules for towns and missions / Felipe de Neve -- 1779 : Adapting to the governor's regulations / Junípero Serra -- 1782 : Neve's instructions to his successor / Felipe de Neve -- 1784 : The death of Junípero Serra / Francisco Palóu -- 1785 : The trials of a frontier woman / Eulalia Callis -- 1785 : Between Baja and Alta California / José Velásquez -- 1785 : Rebellion at San Gabriel / Toypurina -- 1796 : Judicial proceedings against Silberio and Rosa at San Luis Obispo / Felipe de Goycoechea -- 1797 : Treatment of the Indians at Mission San Francisco / José María Fernndez -- 1797 : Military interrogation of San Francisco Indians / José Argüello -- 1798-1801 : The mission system evaluated and defended / Antonio de la Concepción Horra and Fermín Francisco de Lasuén -- 1809 : Life in the pueblo of San José / José Joaquín de Arrillaga and José María Estudillo -- 1812 : The killing of Fr. Andrés Quintana at Mission Santa Cruz / Lorenzo Asisara -- 1815 : Captivity at Mission San Fernando / Vassili Petrovitch Tarakanoff -- 1818 : The attack on Monterey by Hipólito Bouchard / Pablo Vicente de Solá -- 1819 : A bear hunt / Juan Bautista Alvarado -- pt. 4: Mexican California. 1824 : The sea otter hunts / Zakahar Tchitchinoff and Antonio María Osio -- 1824 : The Chumash revolt / Rafael González -- 1820s : Indian life at San Luis Rey / Pablo Tac -- 1825 : The new governor brings liberal ideas / Manuel Clemente Rojo and Angustias de la Guerra -- 1827 : A young Californio embraces the new liberalism / Pío Pico -- 1827 : A mission-oriented proposal for Alta California / Enrique Virmond -- 1828 : North American trappers intrude into Alta California / Luis Antonio Argüello -- 1829 : The missions in their last years / Alfred A. Robinson -- 1829 : The revolt of Estanislao / José Snchez and Joaquín Piña -- 1830 : A secularization-oriented proposal for Alta California / Juan Bandini -- 1831 : The California delegate argues for rule of law / Carlos Carrillo -- 1833 : The citizens of San Diego petition for local government / José Antonio Estudillo, et al. -- 1835 : Life at a secularized mission / José Antonio Anzar and José Tiburcio Castro -- 1835 : Life in Northern California / Agustín Janssens -- 1837 : A Mexican officer urges defense of both Californias / Andrés Castillero -- 1837 : Indian attacks near San Diego / Juana Machado -- 1838 : Secularization in Baja California / Julin Pérez -- 1840 : Indian attacks near Guadalupe / José Luciano Espinosa and María Gracia -- 1841 : The arrival of a North American wagon train / Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo -- 1842 : Typical land grants / Juan Bautista Alvarado -- 1840s : Life on a California rancho / José del Carmen Lugo -- Herbs and remedies used by the Indians and Californios / Andrew Garriga -- 1840s : Life and customs in Mexican California / Antonio Coronel -- 1842 : Rehearsal for invasion / Thomas ap Catesby Jones and Antonio María Osio -- Retrospective : an Indian in California / Julia César -- Appendix A: Chronology -- Appendix B: Governors of the Californias.