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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
68 episodes
Remaking Southern California with author James Tejani
In Part 1, we sit down with author James Tejani to discuss his book, A Machine to Move Ocean and Earth: The Making of the Port of Los Angeles and America. The conversation delves into the historical context of the Gold Rush, demogr...
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Season 3
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Episode 49
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34:42
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Thank You!
A quick message of thanks at the end of 2024 from the California Frontier Project.
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3:23
Tales of Mexican California Pt. 1
In the first episode of this series, we explore the memoirs of Antonio Franco Coronel, a significant figure in Southern California's Mexican past. Coronel takes us through his reminiscences of the struggles the controversial Híjar...
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Season 3
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Episode 48
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27:09
A Franciscan in Troubled Times Part 3
In this episode, we conclude the story of Fr. José María del Real. We cover the U.S. annexation and occupation of California and the tensions between new American settlers and the local population. We delve into Father Real's efforts to accommo...
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Season 3
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Episode 47
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41:11
A Franciscan in Troubled Times Part 2
In this episode, we delve further into the life and challenges faced by Fr. José María Suárez del Real, the last Franciscan missionary at Mission Santa Clara. The episode recounts Father Real's advocacy for the native people, his disputes...
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Season 3
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Episode 46
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25:28
A Franciscan in Troubled Times Part 1
In this episode, we delve into the life and legacy of Father José María Suárez del Real, a Mexican Franciscan missionary in 1840s California. Through anecdotes and historical context, we explore his role during the mission secularization period...
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Season 3
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Episode 45
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20:22
The Attack on Mission San Diego: Interview with Richard Carrico (Part 2)
In Part 2 of our conversation, we delve into the 1775 sacking of Mission San Diego de Alcalá, a pivotal event in California's history. Richard's detailed research challenges mainstream historical accounts and highlights the specific invo...
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Season 3
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Episode 44
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52:14
Reservation Archaeology with Richard Carrico (Part 1)
In Part 1 of this interview, I speak with archeologist Richard Carrico, a prominent expert on the Native peoples of California, especially those in the San Diego area. Carrico shares his intriguing journey into archaeology, beginning wit...
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Season 3
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Episode 42
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32:40
Strangers in a New Land: Two Foreigners Who Shaped Early California
This solo episode explores how two ambitious foreigners, one a Scotsman and the other an American, navigated life in Mexican California during the 1830s and 1840s. Though both shared a common language and elite backgrounds, their a...
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Season 3
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Episode 42
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28:04
California's Untold Maritime History (Part 2) with author Eric Plunkett
In Part 2 of my interview with Eric Plunkett about early explorations of California, we begin with the shipwreck of the San Agustin in 1595 at Drake's Bay, recognized as California's first shipwreck. Eric goes on to discuss Pedro ...
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Season 3
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Episode 41
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30:36
California's Untold Maritime History (Part 1) with author Eric Plunkett
Join host Damian Bacich and guest Eric Plunkett as they dive into the fascinating early maritime history of California. Plunkett reveals surprising details about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo's 1542 expedition, including his connection t...
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Season 3
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Episode 40
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30:59
Secrets of Mission San Luis Rey Part 2 with Art Historian Helena Hazleton
In Part 2 of my interview with Helena Hazleton, Museum Director at Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, we discuss its later history and some features that make it stand out among missions.Main topics of Part 2: The mission...
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34:19
Secrets of Mission San Luis Rey Part 1 with Art Historian Helena Hazleton
In this episode, I interview art historian Helena Hazleton, Director of the Museum at Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside, California. In this captivating conversation, Helena shares her expertise on one of the largest and most ...
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Season 3
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Episode 39
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31:44
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