{"product_id":"john-bidwell-and-california-the-life-and-writings-of-a-pioneer-1841-1900-9780870623325","title":"John Bidwell and California: The Life and Writings of a Pioneer, 1841-1900","description":"\u003cp\u003eBidwell'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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA 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 His published and unpublished work treats just about every imaginable aspect of life in California between 1841 and 1900.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom the moment he set out for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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBidwell 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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite 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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInteraction 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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Bidwell Bibliography of sixteen pages is included, providing a thorough guide to sources, both published and unpublished.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-3141791\"\u003eMichael J. Gillis\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-3949500\"\u003eMichael F. Magliari\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Arthur H. Clark Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/15\/2004\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 367\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.36lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.28h x 6.33w x 0.91d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780870623325\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 087062332X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HIS\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HIS036140\"\u003eUnited States | State \u0026amp; Local | West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HIS\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HIS036010\"\u003eUnited States | State \u0026amp; Local | General\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Arthur H. Clark Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44520407269613,"sku":"9780870623325","price":36.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/8097\/6621\/products\/img_ba687f81-ff86-472f-b1e2-3da3c87a77b7.jpg?v=1701275601","url":"https:\/\/sureshotbooks.com\/products\/john-bidwell-and-california-the-life-and-writings-of-a-pioneer-1841-1900-9780870623325","provider":"SureShot Books Publishing LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}