Frost's Pictorial History of California.

HISTORY

OF THE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

FROM THE PERIOD OF THE CONQUEST BY
SPAIN, TO HER OCCUPATION BY THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE IMMENSE
GOLD MINES AND PLACERS, THE ENORMOUS POPULATION
OF GOLD-SEEKERS, THE QUANTITY OF GOLD ALREADY
OBTAINED, A DESCRIPTION OF HER MINERAL
AND AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES, WITH
THRILLING ACCOUNTS OF ADVEN-

TURES AMONG THE MINERS.

ALSO,

ADVICE TO EMIGRANTS ON THE BEST ROUTES, AND THE
PREPARATIONS NECESSARY TO GET THERE.

TO WHICH IS ADDED

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION OF THE SAID STATE.

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS.

BY JOHN FROST, LL.D.

AUBURN, N. Y.
DERBY AND MILLER.

THENEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND

TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
1897.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850.

BY DERBY AND MILLER,

In the Clerk's Office for the Northern District of New York.

PREFACE.

THE Occupation of California by the people of the United States, and the discovery of its rich gold mines, form a new era in the history of the world. According to present appearances, these events forebode a complete revolution in monetary and commercial affairs. The receipts of gold from California have already produced a sensible effect on the financial affairs of our country; and far-seeing people predict an entirely new state of things with respect to the relative value of money and property.

Still more important effects are anticipated from the establishment of a new, rich, and enterprising State of the American Union on the shores of the Pacific. Railroads across the continent will soon transport the rich products of Eastern Asia, by a quick transit, to the Atlantic cities and to Europe; and a passage to China or India, which was formerly a serious undertaking, will become a pleasant excursion.

To gratify the public curiosity with respect to the history and present state of this new member of the Union, is the purpose of this volume. In preparing it, the author has passed rapidly over the early history, and dwelt chiefly on recent events, and the actual state of the country, as he considered that, by this course, utility would be more effectually consulted.

In the Appendix he has introduced the constitution of California, and some official documents, whose importance demanded their preservation in a pérmanent form.