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A must own for all desert gardeners

Actually, more the history of the Southwest and CaliforniaThe period 1835-1850 begins with the establishment of Texan Independence and the Missouri Compromise. However, the first two chapters of the book go back much farther. (1) The Coming of the Europeans to the Southwest deals with the Spanish conquest of Mexico, Central America, and South America, albeit in abbreviated form. This chapter provides a southwestern counterpart to earlier volumes in the series devoted to the settlement of Virginia ("The Paradox of Jamestown") and New England ("Pilgrims and Puritans"). (2) The Creation of the Southwest Hispanic Culture, looks at the mixing of Spanish and Indian cultures and take the reader up to the siege of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jancinto. The key chapter in the book covers the concept of (3) Manifest Destiny, which becomes the justification for expanding America from the Mississippi river west to the Pacific. Within that context the first major acquisition of land results from (4) The War with Mexico, which offers one of the better explanations of the war's campaigns that I have seen in a juvenile history book. (5) California, Here I Come actually looks at the history of the west coast up to the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill. Similarly, (6) California Compromise deals with the whole western migration, covering not only the 49ers but also the Mormon trek to Utah.
Reading this volume I recalled the idea that when the United States won the Mexican War it basically took all of the "best" parts of Mexico. This made me wonder if America would have taken a similar approach if it had succeeded in conquering Canada: i.e., just take the southern parts and leave the frozen wastelands alone. Just a passing curiosity. Anyhow, I am really appreciative of the approach taken in this series, of focusing on the "core content" rather than a deluge of names and dates. This book is quite representative of what the Colliers are doing in this series, providing a historical context for key parts of American history that have resulted in the country we live in today. The book is illustrated with historic illustrations, including early photographs and political cartoons, all of which are presented with detailed captions making them more footnotes to the main text than mere pictures.


A compelling historical account of Hispanic Culture

An impressive, comprehensive historical survey

Flores proves once again he has few peers.

Discusses history of hot springs well; poor travel guideNOTE: contains some not-very-discreet nudity.


Easy Reading

This is a great book for anyone who likes the stone ages

He lived from the Stone Age to the Atomic Age!

Environmental Justice