California Frontier - A History Podcast
Prof. Damian Bacich takes you on a journey into the fascinating early history of California and the West. Listen to stories and interviews with scholars, experts and people passionate about a time when California was the frontier of empire and imagination.
Episodes
55 episodes
What's Up with the California Frontier Project?
We've published 50 episodes and it is time to check in about where the California Frontier Project is going.
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Season 3
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Episode 38
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20:42
Beyond the Devil's Road Part 2: Dr. Jeremy Beer
In Part 2 of this interview, author Jeremy Beer discusses his new book Beyond the Devil's Road: Francisco Garcés and the Spanish Encounter with the American Southwest. Beer delves into the life and legacy of Franciscan friar Fra...
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Season 3
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Episode 37
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31:36
Beyond the Devil's Road Part 1: Interview with author Dr. Jeremy Beer
This is Part 1 of an interview with author Jeremy Beer about his new book Beyond the Devil's Road: Francisco Garcés and the Spanish Encounter with the American Southwest. We discuss the challenges and triumphs of Fray Francisco Garcés,...
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Season 3
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Episode 36
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33:46
California in 1834 Part 3: Wine and Weddings
This is the third and final installment exploring the recollections of Carlos N. Híjar, who came to Alta California from Mexico in 1834 at age eight. Key points include: Detailed description of wine and brandy production method...
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Season 3
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Episode 35
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23:40
Alta California in 1834 Part 2: Song and Dance
In this episode, we continue exploring the memoirs of Carlos N. Híjar, who came to Alta California as a young boy in 1834. The episode focuses on daily life in Alta California during the Spanish and Mexican eras, particularly in Santa Barbara. ...
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Season 3
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Episode 34
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25:54
Alta California in 1834 Part 1: Bear and Bull Fights
The episode focuses on the recollections of Carlos N. Híjar, who arrived in Alta California in 1834 as a child. Híjar's memoir provides insights into daily life, customs, and entertainment in 1830s California.Key points covered include:<...
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Season 3
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Episode 33
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24:34
The Mexican-American War
This episode explores the complex history of the Mexican-American War and its lasting impact on North America. In it, we cover:Spanish presence in North America and the formation of the United StatesThe Louisiana Purchase a...
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Season 3
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Episode 32
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34:04
The Chumash Uprising Part 2: Interview with Dr. John Johnson
In the second part of our interview, Dr. John Johnson, former Curator of Anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, delves deeper into the legacy and aftermath of the 1824 Chumash Uprising in California:- The long-term...
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Season 3
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Episode 31
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27:10
The Chumash Uprising Part 1: Interview with Dr. John R. Johnson
In Part 1 of this fascinating interview, Dr. John Johnson, former Curator of Anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, provides an in-depth look at the Chumash Uprising of 1824 - the most important indigenous uprisi...
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Season 3
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Episode 30
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40:38
Californios and Ethnicity with Archaeologist Jennifer Lucido
In today's interview, I am talking with archaeologist Jennifer Lucido.Jennifer has worked at several important historical sites in the Monterey area and has recently traced the genealogies of some of California's early poblador ...
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Season 3
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Episode 29
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55:50
An update from the California Frontier Show
It is summer and time for a short update on the show.
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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14:32
California's Insurgency: The Bear Flag Revolt
The Bear Flag Revolt is one of the central episodes in the events leading to the U.S. annexation of California. In June of 1846, a group of Americans took over the Mexican Pueblo of Sonoma and declared a new “California Republic.” This is the...
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Season 3
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Episode 27
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20:08
Secrets of Mission Architecture (Part 2): Dr. Rubén G. Mendoza
In part 2 of this interview, we delve further into the hidden astronomical alignments of many California mission churches. The orientations allowed sunlight to illuminate altars, tabernacles, and statues of saints on specific liturgical dates l...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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50:19
Secrets of Mission Architecture: Dr. Rubén Mendoza (Part 1)
In Part 1 of this interview, I talk with trailblazing archaeologist Dr. Rubén Mendoza.Recounting his unexpected path from a curious young boy to a renowned scholar, Mendoza shares his pioneering work decoding the California mi...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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41:00
A Warrior's Journey: The Legend of Chief Solano
Towering over people at 6'7", the imposing figure of Chief Francisco Solano loomed large in early 19th-century California.Born a Suisun native named Sina, he received the name Francisco Solano at his Mission Dolores baptism in 181...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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12:03
General of the Northern Frontier: Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
This episode is dedicated the remarkable life of Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, a central figure in the pivotal era of California's origins. Born into a military family in 1808 Monterey, Vallejo's thirst for knowledge and quick w...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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15:36
The Enigmatic Explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
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 dis...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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19:28
An Inside Look at the California Missions Conference
In this episode, I give my take on the California Missions Foundation conference that took place on April 12-14. It was the first in-person conference since 2020, making it an important occasion to reconnect with California history in a s...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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16:21
Kevin Starr's Vision: Interview with Jason Sexton, Pt. 2
In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Jason Sexton, we delve into Kevin's attempt to understand the "California experience." Kevin Starr tried to chronicle California's history in a nuanced yet idealistic way, which connected him to earl...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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37:09
History and California's Redemption: Interview with author Jason Sexton, Pt. 1
This is the first part of a lively conversation with Dr. Jason Sexton, editor of a book on the renowned California historian Kevin Starr (1940-2017).Sexton describes Starr as California’s most ambitious interpreter. Starr’...
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Season 3
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Episode 18
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36:38
How We Almost Lost El Camino Real (and the Women Who Saved It)
Imagine California today without any remnants of its Spanish and Mexican past. That almost happened until a group of determined women took action to preserve the state's Hispanic heritage. At the turn of the 20th century, the historic El Ca...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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12:25
How did the California Missions End?
The California missions ended after Mexico became independent of Spain. The newly independent Mexican government eventually passed laws that called for an end to the mission system through “secularization.” The laws mandated the mi...
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Season 3
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Episode 16
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15:24
Fr. José Altimira, Sonoma and the End of the Mission Chain
The episode chronicles the story of Fr. José Altimira, a Spanish Franciscan missionary in early 19th century California. Altimira pushed to establish a new mission north of San Francisco Bay, clashing with his Franciscan superiors; he explored ...
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Season 3
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Episode 15
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15:12