Collection: Directories and Documents > Pamphlets

About This Item:

Title: The Negro in California Before 1890 (PH 10-1)(1945) Collection Type: Directories and Documents Collection Name: Pamphlets Catalog #: PH 10-1 Author: Dr. A. Odell Thurman Published: 1945 # of Pages: 55 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Metadata By: Shelby Figueroa Printed or handwritten: All printed text Date Scanned: 2024-11-14 12:04:36 Scanned By: Shelby Figueroa Scanning Equipment: CZUR Book Scanner OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: JPGs First Created: 2025-03-17 05:49:01 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 05:49:01

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 55  

ee jurisdiction. Echeandia [who had taken office in 1825] replied ‘that he knew of no slave having been brought to California until 1825, when the wife of Antonio Jose de Cot, a Spaniard, brought a slave girl named Juana, 14 years of age, from Lima to San Francisco; but he added that the lady intended leaving the territory with her slave and would do so on the first opportunity.” ** I am unable to say if the governor’s report can be wholly accepted for there is controversy. We do know that the traffic in slaves was not halted by this order for Bancroft speaks of a Negro woman brought from Peru, as late as 1828.** Consequently, we may feel safe in assuming that it was the continuance of this that prompted England to negotiate a treaty of abolition of slavery with Mexico some years later. It was mentioned above that Negroes had spread themselves well throughout much of the Spanish claims; and that they were well accepted is portrayed in the evidences of their physical influence found by exploring parties later in the century. J. P. Monroe Fraser in speaking of the native races found among soldiers in the San Francisco cantonment says, “There was a half-caste race between the white Castilian and the native Indian, very few of the families retaining the pure blood of Old Castile. They were consequently of all shades of color—**” As far north as Klamath Lake, possible Negro influences were found in the natives of this region. The natives around the Klamath, Trinity, and Rogue Rivers are described as being tall, muscular, and well made, with complexions varying from black to light brown; while those in a more isolated spot, who were evidently of the same kin were squatty and fat in figure, rather stoutly-built, with large heads, coarse, black hair and repulsive countenances. *° Early in the 19th century American trappers, hunters, and traders had found their way into California, by overland trails or by boat, and a few had come to stay. Some members of Jedediah Smith’s 1826 expedition had remained behind and others from New Mexico and Oregon moved into the region. Of the population of newcomers during 1836-40 who might be classified as pioneer residents, Bancroft numbers it as small. “The total population of foreign adults . . . in 1840,” he says, “not including roving trappers and horse-thieves in the interior, was in round numbers 380 souls, of which number 120 had come before 1830, and 240 before 1835.” Justifying the small number, he explains, “This was not in any sense a period of immigration. If few stayed in the country, still fewer came with the intention to stay. . . .”7" 327.