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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE FOREIGN IMAGES of ALTA CALIFORNIA, 1800-1846 a Thesis Submitted in Partial Satisfaction

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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE FOREIGN IMAGES OF ALTA CALIFORNIA, \ \ 1800-1846 A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Haster of Arts in Geography by Virginia L. Oliver .-/ August, 1978 The Thesis of Virginia L. Oliver is approved: Robert Hoffpauir August, 1978 David Hornbeck, Committee Chairman u st{ 1978 California State University, Northridge ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The completion of a thesis is aided by the friendship and support of many·people. I would first like to express my deep appreciation to my family for their patience and understanding. I also want to acknowledge Barbara, Dave, Dots, and Dorothy whose friendship has been important to me during this period. To the faculty and staff at Northridge go my thanks for their support and help. Special acknowledgement is due Dr. David Hornbeck, whose guidance has enabled me to learn and whose questions have stimulated me to further endeavor. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION •· • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11 II. THE FOUNDATION: IMAGES OF THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE • • • 17 III. THE ORGANIZATION: IMAGES OF SETTLEMENTS • • • • • • • • 48 IV. THE PATTERNS : IMAGES OF LAND USE AND LAND TENURE 71 V. THE INTERACTION: IMAGES OF THE COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE • • 94 VI. IN RETROSPECT 110 , BIBLIOGRAPHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 115 iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Hispanic California Settlements . • • • • . • • . • • 4 v ABSTRACT fOREIGN IMAGES OF ~T~ e~Jf9RNIA, 1800-1846 by Virginia L. Oliv~~ Master of Arts in G~~g~gphy ~h~ ~~ntact between hispanic and nGn~hispanic cultures in Alta eqlif9~Dig eventually resulted in a, nYffiP~~ gf landscape changes. Wh~ attit~d~s which led to landscape ch~~e g!g pot suddenly appear with th~ infl~~ ~f miners and settler~ 9ft~~ !e49, but represent a €©ntiP~gti9n gf a trend which had its 9~i~in~ with the earliest fg~§iwn vi~ito~s to Alta California. TQ fy~th~+ our understanding of th!§ ©YltY+e ~ont~qt situation and the ~n~Yin~ landscape alterations, thie th@eb§ e~9m!nes foreigners' images gf h!~p9nic settlement in Alta ~glifo~nia petween 1800 and 1846. MQ£~ §p~qifically, it will §§fig~nt.~~te QP their impressions of pa+tiGYl9~ elements of the hispanic ©YltY~al lan4§G9pe~~images of settlement§, lang ~se, and commercial §tf"Y9tYFe• ~he a,ttitudes towards the hie~9nie e~lture revealed by these views are significant, for they often indicate disapproval and vi hence strong motives for change. These cultural attitudes as expressed in the foreigners' evaluations, reveal major differences in use and organization of the land. Early foreigners' images of the Alta California cultural landscape indicate what parts of the . hispanic organizational scheme were eventually to undergo alteration in the making of tne California landscape. vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The contact between hispanic and non-hispanic cultures in Alta California and the resulting landscape modifications began long before the enticement of riches lured thousands of people to try their luck in the gold fields. While it is true that the sudden influx of gold seekers made an enormous impact on California, the seeds of change were planted long before American culture became dominant. The attitudes that prompted anglo resource re-evaluation, different land uses, and landscape alterations did not instantaneously appear with the.newcomers in 1849 but represent a continuation of a trend which had its origins with the earliest foreign visitors to Alta California. Althqugh it is true that only the United States eventually ruled California, the opinions of most foreigners who visited hispanic California reveal a striking similarity. Those who visited California during this period had northwest European or American backgrounds and 1 their views reflect this heritage. An understanding of the attitudes, held by the incoming foreigners toward the hispanic people, their culture, and organization of the environment, will enable us to more fully comprehend this culture contact situation and the ensuing landscape alterations. Focusing upon one aspect of this situation, this thesis will examine foreigners' images of hispanic settlement in 1 2 Alta California between 1800 and 1846. More specifically, it will concentrate on their impressions of certain elements of the hispanic cultural landscape--images of settlements, land use, and the commer- cial structure. These particular landscape elements were not the only ones that underwent transformation; on the contrary there were modifications in the land survey systems, population structure and distribution, economic system, agricultural technology, and a myriad of other . 2 cu1 tural pract1ces. A variety of causes contributed to these changes, but in a general sense they can be ascribed to a different culture, a different technology, and a different way of organizing the landscape. These individual segments can be examined and analyzed separately with numerical data, but such studies often result in narrow and restric- tive interpretations of single factors. What is needed is a more comprehensive view of the culture contact situation--a perspective that rarely can be achieved through manipulation and analysis of numerical data. One way to acquire this holistic view is through the images and attitudes held by people actively engaged in assessing the environment. These perceptions and attitudes held by people of different cultures have meaning in that they reveal differences in how landscapes are organized. These disparities existed between the hispanic occupants of early nineteenth century California and the foreigners with whom they came into contact. A preview of the atti- tudes which contributed to change can be seen in the early foreigners' perceptions of hispanic California. It is these images, these whispers of change that will be examined here. 3 Justification The contact between cultures importantly affects both groups-- in the technology, customs, and way of organizing the environment one 3 adopts from the other. This cultural exchange usually results in a modified landscape. That the landscape of California was significantly altered after 1846 can not be denied; yet the twin impacts of Ameri- canization and the Gold Rush did not totally obliterate the hispanic contribution. These hispanic elements were to have an important effect on subsequent developments, for often the newcomers had to adapt their institutions to the conditions already established by hispanic organi- zation. Many of these changes have been described and documented in 4 the 11terature,. b ut to a d d an understand1ng. of the att1tu. d es prompt1ng. such changes may well increase our awareness of this culture contact situation. It is hoped that a perception study will provide this additional dimension of understanding. Scope The areal scope of this thesis is confined to a narrow coastal band, the area most affected by hispanic settlement (Map I). As illustrated by the map, Spanish settlement inst.itutions were rarely placed far from the coast, and although a few ranchos were later granted in the Central Valley, most of these were granted to anglos and were essentially outside the major sphere of hispanic influence. Temporally, the thesis spans the period from 1800 to 1846. Although Spanish settlement of California actually began in 1769, communication with the outside world was severely reduced by Hispanic California. Settlements ,, 'S'an Gabri~!,A~Sf1119el (1711) San Luis Rey de 'Francia (71,98) S~n Diego San Fer'}and0 de R"ev EsPana (7797) i. ....... * • &. de Alcala (1769) ... ... ~----""'---- ' ,.,.,,,_, ..a·--- Juan --... "":-..,. .b 1 ' Los Angeles Capistrano (1776) ... /- .,,...... -Jr.San Juan Baut1s~a (1797) , , ,"" • '\ *Senora de La Soledad (1791) ~a~f1uenaventura (1782) ,'' ... .,.,. ........ -. .,..,. SanMigue/Arcange/(1797) &. ....... b. Mission ~ . f ........,.,. : b,..,.,._ Santa Birba;a (17,86) .,...... _.,. .. ta ruz T) ~' ""fr. ............. ' ""'"\ SanLUJs0bJSPO '""" ..a Pueblo Villa de Brancdorte (1797)~ I San Carlos s:;~_AmontO de Padua (Tl71) i;.,. de Tolosa (1172) .... Presidio i --- El Camino Real (Royal Road) i . 1 (1797! Foundmg date I t LAdapted from: David Hornbeck, 'Land Tenure and Rancho Expansion in Alta California; 1784-1846', Journal of Historical Geography. 1978. (J' K·h>m~:tNs i -·----·-·-----·-·----·--·-·-···-·---·-·-·-···-·-·--·-·--·----·------····--·-·-·--·-·-·-·---··-----·-·······-·- --·-·--- ·-·--···---- ·-···----·-·-····----·-·-·-·-------·····-·-----·-·--·---·-·---------------·-----·······-·--·--·-·-·-·----·-·-·-··------------·-·-·-·-·----------·-·-·-·------·---·-·-·---···-·j Figure l. Hispanic California Settlements ~ 5 5 restrictive immigration and trade regulations. As Spanish control waned in the early years of the nineteenth century, the number of foreign visitors to California slowly increased, becoming a steady 6 stream after Mexican takeover in 1822. By 1846 California was in a turmoil and the hispanic way of life was crumbling under the effects of American conquest and the presence·of ever-increasing numbers of Americans in California. Thus, although California was governed by Spain and then Mexico for a period of almost eighty years, this investigation is confined to the 46 years of significant foreign- hispanic contact under hispanic rule. Literature Review The field of perception has grown considerably in the last few years, to the extent that several works can now be found which attempt 7 to pull together ideas and methodologies of perception. Although
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