Converting California

Book Description

This book is a compelling and balanced history of the California missions and their impact on the Indians they tried to convert. Focusing primarily on the religious conflict between the two groups, it sheds new light on the tensions, accomplishments, and limitations of the California mission experience. James A. Sandos, an eminent authority on the American West, traces the history of the Franciscan missions from the creation of the initial one in 1769 until they were turned over to the public in 1836. Addressing such topics as the singular theology of the missions, the role of music in bonding Indians to Franciscan enterprises, the diseases caused by contact with the missions, and the Indian resistance to missionary activity, Sandos not only describes what happened in the California missions but offers a persuasive explanation for why it happened.

Customer Reviews:

Choice review.......2005-08-23

The following review appeared in the February 2005 issue of CHOICE.

42-3615 E78 2003-70398 MARC

Sandos, James A. Converting California: Indians and Franciscans in the missions. Yale, 2004. 251p bibl index afp ISBN 0300101007, $35.00

Historian Sandos (Univ. of Redlands) provides a richly contextualized history of the California missions from their inception under Junipero Serra in 1769 to the time of their secularization in 1836. The author deftly steers between sanctification and vilification of the California mission system by examining not only the material and political goals of the Franciscans, but also their theological and cosmological understandings of the world around them. Sandos applies this same interpretive agenda to the vast array of Native peoples in California. Chapters focus on often-ignored topics such as the role of music in the mission system, the devastating impact of syphilis on Native demographics, and the importance of Native resistance, accommodation, and acceptance of this outside force. The author concludes with the impact of the mission and a discussion of the moral legitimacy of the mission process. While some will not be happy that Sandos eschews partisan judgments against or exonerations of Franciscans and the Spanish system of colonization, his work clearly sheds considerable light on this highly controversial encounter while encouraging even further study, thus serving as a model for future research. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels and libraries. -- R. A. Bucko,S.J., Creighton University

Life in a California Mission: Monterey in 1786 : The Journals of Jean Francois De LA Perouse

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Indians Were the First Slaves
it deserves a 10....

Life in a California Mission: Monterey in 1786 : The Journals of Jean Francois De LA Perouse
Jean-Francois De LA Perouse
Manufacturer: Heyday Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Lands of Promise and Despair: Chronicles of Early California, 1535-1846 (California Legacy Book) (California Legacy Book)
Indians, Franciscans, and Spanish Colonization: The Impact of the Mission System on California Indians
The History of Alta California: A Memoir of Mexican California
Land in California: The Story of Mission Lands, Ranchos, Squatters, Mining Claims, Railroad Grants, Land Scrip, Homesteads (Chronicles of California)
The Harvest Gypsies: On the Road to the Grapes of Wrath

ASIN: 0930588398

Book Description

On the afternoon of September 14, 1786, two French ships appeared off the coast of Monterey, the first foreign vessels to visit Spain's California colonies. Aboard was a party of eminent scientists, navigators, cartographers, illustrators, and physicians.

For the next ten days the commander of this expedition, Jean Francois de La Pérouse, the commander of this expedition, took detailed notes on the life and character of the area: its abundant wildlife, the labors of soldiers and monks, and the customs of Indians recently drawn into the mission. These observations provide a startling portrait of California two centuries ago.

Customer Reviews:

Indians Were the First Slaves.......2005-09-08

I have to admit that I started reading this book because it was my daughter's assignment in a college history class. We were on a long driving trip and I told her to read out loud figuring it would be better than surfing the radio for a decent station. It soon became very interesting and the radio was forgotten.

LIFE IN A CALIFORNIA MISSION is divided into two sections. The first is a very long introduction written by Malcolm Margolin (about 50 pages). Margolin discusses what it was like for the California Indians.

The second part of the book was my favorite. This is ten days worth of journal accounts of what everyday life for California Indians entailed. In 1786 two French ships arrived. On one of those ships was Jean Francois de la Perouse who wrote these journals.

Perouse describes how the padres of the missions used the Indians for all labor. The men did physical labor, while the women spent most of the day processing grain (maize) for their food. Women were also responsible for cleaning. Even in 1786 there were monetary caste systems in place. The wealthier Indians wore otter skins for clothing, while the poorer people wore cloth. The interesting thing was there was no animosity from the poorer Indians, as they were treated fairly by their own tribe. The problems came when the padres and soldiers treated them differently.

Perouse goes into detail as to punishment of the Indians. If one disobeyed the padre he or she was either put in stocks, manacles or whipped, depending on the severity of his crime in the padre's estimation. Also, the Indians were expected to become Christians and denounce their own beliefs. If this did not happen, they were severely punished.

Throughout the journals Perouse compared California and it's inhabitants to Chile. Interestingly, he was very prejudiced against California and it was very obvious in his writings.

Many facts were discovered in these pages that I had not heard of before. Facts such as how the padres kept the Indians under such tight control. They would lock up the daughters at night saying it was for their own protection, all the while knowing that the families would not leave their children. The treatment of the Indians by the Spanish soldiers was atrocious and included raping the women and children, and beating the men who tried to intervene. Diseases were also discussed. Before the Spanish soldiers and other explorers arrived, there were very few diseases in California. After their arrival, many new illnesses appeared, with small pox being prevalent. Small pox was spread so easily - through the trade of skins and other items - the small pox germs contaminated anything touched by the infected person, and those that came into contact with that item became infected.

The main thing I realized was how depressed the Indians became. They were basically slaves and had no recourse. They had welcomed the settlers to their land and then were treated so horribly. I personally didn't realize how the padres of the California Missions treated these people; I had thought they were peaceful, well-meaning men who helped not hurt the people under their protection. Boy was I wrong!

On a side note, Perouse also describes the land and wildlife of California in 1786. You can imagine the abundance of wildlife when he talks of sending 30,000 otter pelts to Europe. Wow!

Overall this book is incredible! What started off as a reading assignment soon became intriguing. You really get a first hand account of what life was like in California during the 18th century, and what the Indians endured. It may change your way of thinking once you read it, it did mine!

it deserves a 10...........2002-08-18

....for the introduction alone, written by Malcolm Margolin, who discusses the actual life of California Indians in the Missions in 1786, the year two French ships brought Jean Francois de la Perouse to Monterey to see for himself what was going on. The book is largely his journal, and an honest one it is, European prejudices and all.

The routines, the manacles, the superstitious judgmentalism of the ruling padres are sketched here, as well as the mistreatment by Spanish soldiers, and hanging over all, the depression of a people who'd held their hand out in friendship and been conquered, systematized, and subjected to deicide by idealists who brought into their land what had never been there before: homelessness, poverty, hierarchy, and plaguelike illnesses that rippled outward around each Mission.

Average customer rating:

childhood

Fun reading and memories!

Very Informative

San Francisco's Mission District

San Francisco's Mission District (Images of America)
Bernadette C. Hooper
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
California | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
West | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0738546577
Release Date: 2006-10-02

Book Description

On June 29, 1776, Fr. Francisco Palou dedicated the first site of Mission San Francisco de Asis on the shores of Dolores Lagoon. At the time, it was a just a patch in the village of Chutchuii, the home of the Ohlone people, and Palou could never have foreseen the vibrant city that would eventually spring up around the humble settlement. The final mission building, popularly known as Mission Dolores and San FranciscoÂ's oldest complete structure, was dedicated on August 2, 1791, at what became Sixteenth and Dolores Streets. After the gold rush, the district around the mission began its dramatic evolution to the diverse area we know today, a bustling mix of immigrants from other states, Europe, and South and Central America.

Customer Reviews:

childhood.......2007-09-25

Excellent. Had picture of house next door to us that we referred to as the mansion!

Fun reading and memories!.......2007-04-27

Well, I got this book from the library at SJSU...and couldn't put it down for days and days...just kept looking at the pictures, and reading the captions over and over. I grew up in the Mission and went to school at Immaculate Conception Academy..Hello Barbara Bottarini. I remember your name! Anyway...seeing pictures of the old St. Anthony's Church before it burned down...priceless, because I totally forgot how it looked like, outside and inside. As a little girl, we'd be outside on a Saturday afternoon going to shop at Mission, and seeing all the brides coming out of the church dressed in splendor was such a fun "girly" thing for me, my sister, our friend Elena, my mother and grandmother. Shopping at Willow's..wow..forgot all about it. Check it out. A must have for your library.

Very Informative.......2007-01-25

I enjoyed the book very much. The history was very informative. For those of us who lived or went to school in the area, the pictures brought back lots of good memories. The book made a wonderful gift at Christmas.So many friends and family members were able to relieve some great places and times as well.

San Francisco's Mission District.......2007-01-15

Since I grew up and went to school in the Mission district, it brought back many pleasant memories. I graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy in 1956. Since the school was featured in the book, I enjoyed the pictues of the school and the neighborhood where I spent my youth.

Journey to the Center of the City: Making a Difference in an Urban Neighborhood

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Facinating story by a witty and caring author.
An extraordinary example of how a family loves its neighbors

Journey to the Center of the City: Making a Difference in an Urban Neighborhood
Randy White
Manufacturer: InterVarsity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

A Theology As Big As the City
The Cultural Experience: Ethnography in Complex Society, Second Edition
The Urban Christian: Effective Ministry in Today's Urban World
Reclaiming the Urban Family
Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development

ASIN: 083081129X

Book Description

When you get involved with city ministry, you're in for some adventures--and you see God at work! Randy and Tina White, with their two young sons, left suburbia to join believers living in a disadvantaged area of Fresno, California. Through their family's story you will learn more about God's heart for the city, meet some of the people who live there, and discover ways you might make a difference too.Discussion questions, twelve Bible studies on God and the city, and a list of "21 Things You Can Do to Love the City" will help you dig even further into the topic. And they make Journey to the Center of the City an ideal book for small group discussion and action!

Customer Reviews:

Facinating story by a witty and caring author........1997-01-04

The book is too short! You want to read more about this family's discovery of how to make a difference in the inner city. Makes you wonder if you could do what they are doing .

An extraordinary example of how a family loves its neighbors.......1997-01-02

This young man and his family live the life of love the rest of us only read about. The book sings with humor and creative narrative. It wrenches our hearts, then sends our hopes for these neighbors soaring. Perhaps because of this book there will be other Randys and Tinas and Josephs and Jamesons who are willing to journey to the center of the city and love their neighbors.

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A life changing book
Ways of the pentecostal revival.
Azusa Street
excellent covering of the spiritual experience
Azusa Street

Azusa Street
Frank Bartleman
Manufacturer: Bridge-Logos Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

English (British) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

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The Words that Changed the World: Azusa Street Sermons
The Life and Ministry of William J. Seymour: And a History of the Azusa Street Revival (The complete Azusa street library)
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Sister Aimee: The Life of Aimee Semple McPherson
Daughter of Destiny: Kathryn Kuhlman

ASIN: 0882704397

Book Description

In the early 1900s, Azusa Street in Los Angeles, California, became synonymous with the Holy Spirit's renewal in America. What began in a dilapidated former Methodist church building became a spiritual fire that sweep across America and over the Atlantic to much of Great Britain and parts of Europe. Here from the pen of Frank Bartleman, an early participant in the movement, we have an eyewitness account of what many believed was the "Latter Rain" of the Book of Joel. It was the time of high and holy days that stirred not only the Church, but many in the secular world as well. Newspapers across America reported the strange events that were taking place. Out of Azusa Street, new denominations and thousands of churches all over the world were born.

Customer Reviews:

A life changing book.......2007-10-15

For many, this will be one of those life changing books.
If your heart is sensitive to it, you will feel the pain of watching greed and avarice step on, use, and pollute that which is pure.
You will see those who long for the touch of a loving God pursue Him in the midst of persecution and manipulation. You will revel in the Holy Spirit. You will see men struting like swollen roosters brought to their knees in humility before Him. You will see Laban ministries who see God's people as servants for the advancement of their herds. Some will bow before God. Some will sell their souls to keep their titles.
All in the historical context. You MUST KNOW this story.
Men build systems. Systems guarantee conformity. Religious systems require that certain people play certain roles. The Holy Spirit doesn't work this way. He goes where He wills. Men don't like that.
That's why each religious organization has their own assembly-line of ministers. Those who control the systems require the **MARK** of conformity.

Ways of the pentecostal revival........2007-05-14

This is a very good book which describes the early years of the outpooring of the Spirit. I have been very challenged by this book. It shows the cost for a revival: Prayer, obedience and a sincere longing for more of God. This is a very good book. God will bless you in reading it.

Azusa Street.......2007-05-10

I did not receive this book, I thought it may have been my fault because I received 2 Devine Life Books. Obviously that is not true because you are inqiring about Azusa Street. Please send it to me.
Thank you, Roy Holmes

excellent covering of the spiritual experience.......2006-08-21

Great book on the history of the spiritual experiences and what preparatory work was necessary in the 1906 pentecostal revival. The work may hurt a few feelings, especially if you are in the Pentecostal denominations, because it does not pull any punches. It says quite clearly that the reason that the Holy Spirit is not moving so strongly now is because of man's usurping God's authority and placing it into a man-made structure [denominational or otherwise]. If you are looking for a book that WILL change your outlook on how you need to approach recieving the Holy Spirit or rekindling your walk, then this is it. I loved it!

Azusa Street.......2005-07-22

Frank Bartleman gives a first hand view of Asuza Street and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I was greatly encouraged and challenged by the aspect of becoming small enough for God to use. All of Him(Jesus). None of me.

A FalconGuide to California's Missions and Presidios: A Guide to Exploring California's Spanish and Mexican Legacy (Exploring Series)

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A FalconGuide to California's Missions and Presidios: A Guide to Exploring California's Spanish and Mexican Legacy (Exploring Series)
Tracy Salcedo-Chourre
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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The Missions of California
California Missions And Presidios
California Missions
Life in a California Mission: Monterey in 1786 : The Journals of Jean Francois De LA Perouse
The Missions of California

ASIN: 0762727934

Book Description

As Spanish authorities colonized Alta California, they established twenty-one Franciscan missions and four forts, or presidios, to bring the native inhabitants of the region under control and to provide for security and defense. Today, the missions and presidios are among California's most popular historic landmarks, and enduring reminders of California's Spanish and Mexican past. This guidebook is a fun and fascinating tour of the missions and presidios for vacationers and history buffs alike.

A sacred space: The story of Westminster House : the Presbyterian campus ministry alongside the University of California, Berkeley

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A sacred space: The story of Westminster House : the Presbyterian campus ministry alongside the University of California, Berkeley
John S Hadsell
Manufacturer: Westminster House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

College Guides | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

When the Mission Padre Came to the Rancho: The Early California Adventures of Rosalinda and Simon Delgado (I Am American)

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When the Mission Padre Came to the Rancho: The Early California Adventures of Rosalinda and Simon Delgado (I Am American)
Gare Thompson
Manufacturer: National Geographic Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Boom Town

ASIN: 0792269454
Release Date: 2004-09-01

Grace before Meals: Food Ritual and Body Discipline in Convent Culture

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RITUAL AND BODY DISCIPLINE IN CONVENT CULTURE

Grace before Meals: Food Ritual and Body Discipline in Convent Culture
Patricia Curran
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0252015851

Customer Reviews:

RITUAL AND BODY DISCIPLINE IN CONVENT CULTURE .......2007-08-11

"Grace Before Meals ~~ Food Ritual and Body Discipline in Convent Culture" was written in 1989 by Sister Patricia Curran, SNDdeN and offers a very rare and important piece of research into an area of Convent life that had not yet been explored nor published outside those convent walls. The food rituals of two congregations of nuns are the subjects of this study ~~ the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. "Grace Before Meals" describes the waning days of the centuries-old convent meal rituals as performed by these two communities of nuns. The participating nuns from these congregations were divided into two groups ~~ those nuns who had entered before 1925 and those who had taken their vows in the 1960s. Drawing upon interviews, questionnaires, and other research, Sister Curran describes ~~ in GREAT detail ~~ the typical convent meal of the early 1960s and contrasts and compares the customs and rituals of these two orders of nuns. She treats the refectory (convent dining room) as a sort of stage on which the nuns are the actors. Gestures, postures, movement, speech and silence were all carefully blended to embody the ideal nun. There are so many mysterious customs revealed in this book ~~ customs and rituals which were, at one time, kept extremely secret from the outside world. Now, for the first time, these customs are not only revealed to the reader, but the nuns speak out and describe exactly how they felt when they were living this life. Twenty nuns from each congregation responded to Sister Curran's questions. These questions were specifically designed to stir old memories from Novitiate days in the convent refectory ~~ Food (quality, quantity, availability and familiarity of diet) Environment (textures and colors, seating and setting) Formal Behaviors (reading, speaking,penances, table manners) Next, the nuns were asked to describe how they had been initiated into these strange practices; how the unfamiliar had been explained to them as young novices; what each nun believed was the purpose of all of this strange behavior. "Grace Before Meals" is a fascinating read for anyone who was ever curious about life inside the convent. The details provided are amazing and most could, probably, be applied to any congregation of nuns.

The Man Who Founded California: The Life of Blessed Junipero Serra

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Fascinating insight into the foundation of modern California

The Man Who Founded California: The Life of Blessed Junipero Serra
M. N. L. Couve De Murville , and M. N. L. Couve De Murville
Manufacturer: Ignatius Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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The Missions of California
Life in a California Mission: Monterey in 1786 : The Journals of Jean Francois De LA Perouse
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Jesus of Nazareth

ASIN: 089870751X

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating insight into the foundation of modern California.......2004-07-03

San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Jose, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Diego - some of the string of pearls along the length of California.
The book uncovers the work of those few hardy souls who founded those communities in the seventeen-hundreds. Their development model was radically different from the US mainstream: that the land belonged to the Native Americans, and that the missions were to mentor those who volunteered in their transition from the hunter-gatherer/horticulturalist to the agriculturalist strategy.
Already then we see the clash between Serra and the naive Europeans who wanted to rush to impose a European-model urban-based governance system, regardless of the vulnerability of Native-American culture to urban European abuses, and how he held them off for a generation.
And we also see the human dimension: how every great person is in the end a bundle of strengths and weaknesses, and how a person that felt ordinary in himself performs historic achievements. This account is both humbling and empowering.
A clear and fascinating account of Junipero Serra, key person in one of the greatest and most influential states of today's world.

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