The California Frontier Project

  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Teacher Membership
  • Podcast
  • Shop/Support
    • Books
    • T-shirts/mugs

The Legend of Chief Solano

By Damian Bacich

“He was of gigantic stature, standing six feet seven inches–without his stockings, for he had none. And he was large all over in proportion, with the strength of several men. His name by baptism was Francisco Solano, and by that name he was best known.” – Platon Vallejo

Filed Under: California Indians, Hispanic Heritage, Native Americans Tagged With: California Indians (Standard 1), Gen. Mariano G. Vallejo, Mission San Francisco Solano, Patwin, Sonoma, Suisun

Todavía Estamos Aquí (We are Still Here)

By Damian Bacich

246 years ago a group of some two hundred people arrived at the Presidio of San Francisco after an arduous trek from Tubac in what is today southern Arizona.

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage

How We Almost Lost El Camino Real (and the Women Who Saved It)

By Damian Bacich

Imagine California with no landmarks from before 1848, no structures dating to the Spanish and Mexican periods. How different might the state be?

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage

“The Americanos Played for Keeps”

By Damian Bacich

The Battle of San Pascual

In his memoirs about life in rancho era California, José Jesús López describes how his father joined the “California Army.”

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Los Angeles, Pio Pico, Primary Sources

Bad for the Lungs but Wonderful for Memories

By Damian Bacich

If doors and windows were primitive in Californio homes, you can also imagine that furniture was not much better.

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Los Angeles, Primary Sources

Tar Roofs and Whale Intestine Windows

By Damian Bacich

José Jesús López grew up in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in the 1850s, in the neighborhood of *El Paredón Blanco* (today’s Boyle Heights).

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Los Angeles, Primary Sources, Rancho Era, Ranchos

The Forgotten Lives of a California Adobe

By Damian Bacich

Preserving historical landmarks means more than just saving old buildings. It often means preserving the link to the lives lived there.

Filed Under: Californios, Field Trips, Hispanic Heritage, Mexican Rule Tagged With: Daily Lives (Standard 5)

Tiburcio Vásquez and Vaquero Vengeance

By Damian Bacich

Shortly after the end of the Mexican-American War, William Rich Hutton recalled visiting Doña Angustias de la Guerra Jimeno in Monterey…

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage

The Castaway of Whalers Cove

By Damian Bacich

After coming to Mexican California in 1822 on a whaling ship, Englishman William Richardson decided to stay.

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage

Juan Bautista de Anza: Son of the Frontier

By Damian Bacich

Juan Bautista de Anza was a military officer, governor, explorer and diplomat. His life had an enormous impact on the history of California, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico, as well as Northern Mexico.

Filed Under: 4th Grade, European Settlements, Hispanic Heritage

Rebuilding a Presidio: Interview with Jarrell Jackman

By Damian Bacich

Soldiers and presidios played a key role in establishing the Spanish presence in California, but they are still misunderstood. Jarrell Jackman has been at the forefront of preserving and documenting this crucial element of the California frontier. Jarrell C. Jackman Dr. Jarrell C. Jackman was Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation for […]

Filed Under: Californios, European Settlements, Hispanic Heritage, Podcast Episodes, Soldiers and Presidios, Spanish Exploration and Colonization Tagged With: Santa Barbara

Ramona, the Novel that Changed California: Interview with Jonathan Alcántar

By Damian Bacich

The novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson sparked an interest in California’s Mission Era that attracted visitors from all over the country. But Jackson’s novel was much more than nostalgia for a bygone era — it was a cry for human rights. The story of the author, her work and how Cuba’s most famous exile […]

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage, Native Americans, Podcast Episodes Tagged With: Helen Hunt Jackson, José Martí, Ramona

California Missions: 50 Interesting Facts

By Damian Bacich

The California missions are home to fascinating stories and interesting facts. The following is a list 50 things you might not know about the missions– but there are many more to discover. Pirate Raid In 1818, a French privateer named Hippolyte Bouchard (known in Spanish as Hipólito Bouchard), led a series of raids along the coast of Alta California. Bouchard […]

Filed Under: Franciscans, Hispanic Heritage, Resources, Spanish Missions Tagged With: Chumash, Gen. Mariano G. Vallejo, Hipólito Bouchard, Mission San Diego de Alcala, mission san fernando, Mission San Francisco Solano, Mission San Juan Bautista, mission san juan capistrano, Mission San Luis Obispo, Mission San Miguel, Mission Santa Clara, Pirates

Native Knowledge in Colonial Latin America: Interview with Ezekiel Stear (Part 2)

By Damian Bacich

As the Spanish Empire become more consolidated, language and writing became more and more important — both for the Spanish government and for native peoples. In part 2 of this interview we learn how indigenous people in Colonial Spanish America preserved their knowledge in the face of restrictive government policies. Listen to Part 1 Highlights […]

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage, Podcast Episodes, Spanish Exploration and Colonization Tagged With: Aztecs, Inquisition, Mexico, Peru

Aztec Memories and the Florentine Codex: Interview with Ezekiel Stear (Part 1)

By Damian Bacich

The story of the Spanish missions in California has its roots in 16th century Mexico. There, Franciscan friars and their native partners sought to record the memories of Aztec elders before their culture was changed forever. The information they collected is contained in the Florentine Codex. Ezekiel Stear Dr. Ezekiel Stear is Assistant Professor of […]

Filed Under: Catholicism, Franciscans, Hispanic Heritage, Native Americans, Podcast Episodes, Spanish Missions Tagged With: Auburn University, Aztecs, Florentine Codex

Land Grants in Alta California

By Damian Bacich

The story of land ownership in modern California begins with the practice of Spanish land grants. Beginning in the 18th century, Spain allowed farming and ranching by private individuals in California. In the 19th century the Mexican government continued and expanded the program. Land Laws in Spain The laws and customs about who could own […]

Filed Under: European Settlements, Hispanic Heritage, Podcast Episodes, Resources, Spanish Exploration and Colonization Tagged With: California Land Act, Laws of Indies, Presidios, Pueblos, Ranchos, Secularization, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The Mexican-American War

By Damian Bacich

Mexico before Texas Independence

The Mexican-American War (or the U.S. – Mexico War) was the conflict that took place between 1846 and 1848 and caused Mexico to lose close to half of its territory and the U.S. to acquire what is today Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and California. The Spanish in North America and the Treaty of […]

Filed Under: Hispanic Heritage, Mexican Rule Tagged With: Cahuenga, Gen. Mariano G. Vallejo, Mexico, San Pascual, U.S.-Mexico War

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo: California’s First Tourist

By Damian Bacich

What did Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo do and why is he important? Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo is best known for being the first European to successfully navigate the Pacific coast of what is today California to points north of the San Francisco Bay. During the voyage, he and his men disembarked at several points and made direct […]

Filed Under: Early Land and Sea Routes, Hispanic Heritage, Spanish Exploration and Colonization Tagged With: Channel Islands, Chumash, Kumeyaay, Point Reyes, Rodriguez Cabrillo, San Diego, San Salvador, Strait of Anián

Ranchos in California: The Spanish and Mexican Eras

By Damian Bacich

For many years ranchos defined the early California lifestyle. Their impact remains with us today.

Filed Under: Californios, Hispanic Heritage, Mexican Rule Tagged With: Andrés Pico, Domínguez, Gen. Mariano G. Vallejo, Monterey, Pío Pico, Rancho Camulos, Vaqueros

9 Ways the Missions Impacted California

By Damian Bacich

How did the Missions Affect California? Much of the culture of California has its roots in the history of the Spanish missions. And although the missions were only fully active for about 60 years, their presence had a major impact on many areas of life in California. In this article we’ll talk about some of […]

Filed Under: 4th Grade, Hispanic Heritage, Spanish Missions Tagged With: agriculture, art, cities, ethnography, irrigation, libraries, Mission San Carlos Borromeo, Music, place names, San Luis Obispo, tourism, trade, wine

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

I’m Dr. Damian Bacich, and I started the California Frontier Project. Learn more about me and the project here.

Teaching Materials for the Whole Year

Alta California Tees and More

Alta California T-shirt

Copyright © 2023 · Damian Bacich