California History

The name "Pico" is known to many Californians, especially in Southern California. There are streets, canyons, buildings and sites with that name; but most do not know about the persons behind these names. The story about Pio Pico and his large extended family reflects the stories of most leading Californios (Mexicans born in California), who successfully fought for independence from Spain, autonomy from Mexico, and grants of huge ranchos. Pio Pico was both a representative of these pioneers, and different from them; he was born poor, while most Californios were given privilege, land and political status. Pio Pico was born in "a brush hut" at the San Gabriel Mission. His father died (1819) before he could receive land from his service as a soldier in the Spanish force. Being the oldest of seven children, Pio at age 18 had to see to the welfare of his family. He became an entrepreneur went on to become a political force in California, elected to the California Assembly, then two times Governor, the last being the time when the Americans invaded and took over California (1846-1848). Along the way, Pio accumulated vast lands in Southern California that enabled him to amass great wealth. After the American takeover, he turned his lands into money-making fountains, and became – in the 1850s – one of the richest individuals in California. Beginning in the 1860s, the cattle culture collapsed. Gradually, beginning in the 1870s, his web of debts, loans, and foreclosures on his many properties collapsed, parallel to his fellow Californios. The end came in the 1880s, when he was swindled out of his last rancho – Rancho Paseo de Bartolo – by an unscrupulous Yankee lawyer. After many court appeals, Pio was defeated, and ended his life penniless at age 94 in a small apartment in Los Angeles, given to him by his long-time friend J.J. Warner. He was the last of his generation.

The Expedition of the Donner Party and Its Tragic Fate is a powerful first-person account of one of the most infamous tragedies in American pioneer history, written by Eliza P. Donner Houghton, who was just a young child during the ordeal. The Donner Party set out in 1846 to reach California, lured by promises of a better life and misled by poor guidance. After taking an untested shortcut known as the Hastings Cutoff, they became trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains by early and relentless snowfall. What followed was a brutal winter marked by extreme hunger, freezing temperatures, and desperate decisions, including the controversial act of cannibalism. Through this memoir, Eliza recounts the suffering and heroism of those months, not only drawing on her own childhood memories but also incorporating stories passed down from other survivors and documents of the time. More than a historical record, the book humanizes the people involved-especially her own family-and seeks to correct misconceptions about the event. Eliza writes with compassion and dignity, offering an insider's view that is deeply moving, informative, and historically significant. Her narrative preserves the memory of the lost while honoring the endurance of those who lived. Includes Exclusive Bonus Materials for Educators and Readers: • ✅ 20 Classroom Activities & Group Projects designed for history and literature curriculum • ✅ 20 Book Club & Discussion Questions exploring themes of survival, migration, and morality • ✅ Detailed Family Trees of the Donner, Reed, Breen, and Graves families • ✅ Historical Timeline spanning the origins, journey, disaster, and aftermath • ✅ Short Biographies of Virginia Reed Murphy and C.F. McGlashan • ✅ Fully formatted for clean reading in both print and eBook editions Ideal For: • High school and university classrooms studying American migration and California history • Public and academic libraries building collections on 19th-century American frontier life • Book clubs and reading groups interested in survival stories and historical nonfiction • Readers of Into the Wild, The Indifferent Stars Above, and Endurance • Historians and educators preparing for the 180th anniversary of the Donner Party in 2027 Why This Edition Matters: With the 180th anniversary approaching in 2027, interest in the Donner Party and westward expansion is set to rise. This edition provides the most complete and accessible compilation available-ideal for students, researchers, and general readers. Beyond the story of starvation and survival, this is a chronicle of the American spirit: of what people hope for, endure, and remember.

Across the Plains in the Donner Party & History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra 180th Anniversary Commemorative Omnibus Edition - Two Landmark Works in One Volume (Paperback & eBook) In 1846, a group of pioneers heading for California became trapped in the snowbound Sierra Nevada. What followed was one of the most harrowing and tragic episodes in the history of westward expansion: the story of the Donner Party. This special 180th anniversary edition brings together for the first time the two most important and enduring accounts of the tragedy - offering readers a complete picture of the journey, the suffering, and the legacy left behind. Book One: Across the Plains in the Donner Party by Virginia Reed Murphy Written by one of the youngest survivors of the expedition, this deeply personal memoir recounts the journey with a clear and compelling voice. Virginia Reed was just twelve years old when her family joined the party, and her recollections-first published decades later-capture both the innocence of youth and the emotional scars of survival. Her account is a powerful piece of American literature that speaks to sacrifice, resilience, and the complexity of memory. Book Two: History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra by C.F. McGlashan First published in 1879, this is the first comprehensive historical investigation into the events of the Donner Party. McGlashan interviewed survivors, collected letters, and examined newspaper accounts to reconstruct the journey with journalistic rigor. Far more than a sensational narrative, his work seeks to correct myths, honor the dead, and preserve the lessons of the past for future generations. Together, these two works present a dual-lens portrait of the Donner Party-one from within, and one from without. The result is a definitive collection that honors those who lived the experience and those who sought to preserve it for history. Why This Edition Matters: With the 180th anniversary approaching in 2027, interest in the Donner Party and westward expansion is set to rise. This edition provides the most complete and accessible compilation available-ideal for students, researchers, and general readers. Beyond the story of starvation and survival, this is a chronicle of the American spirit: of what people hope for, endure, and remember.