“Indispensable reading for historians of slavery, the Civil War era, and the American West.” —Journal of the Civil War Era
“Adds an entirely new dimension to California’s history. . . . Recommended for classroom use as well as for researchers and the casual reader interested in California’s diverse past.”—Colonial Latin American Historical Review
“A long overdue and urgently needed synthesis. . . . A splendid example of traditional archival-based historical research.”—Journal of Interdisciplinary History
“A pleasure to read. Smith makes a significant contribution to the growing literature on the antebellum West and the complicated story of human bondage that unifies western history with our national history of slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.”—Oregon Historical Quarterly
“A concise, thoughtful, and well-written work that highlights Californians’ lived experiences. . . . A foundation for future studies of child labor and the exploration of California’s contributions to debates over land, labor, gender, and empire in the United States in the 19th century.”—Journal of African American History
“An innovative and rigorous study of race, labor, and politics that skillfully addresses and integrates histories of slavery and the American West.”—Journal of Southern History
“Smith’s analysis is cogent and detailed, and her arguments are solid. The book is a welcome addition to both the history of California and the West and to the history of the Civil War and Reconstruction.”—Southwestern Historical Quarterly
“Recommended. All levels/libraries.”—CHOICE
“A real winner: ambitious, thoughtful, and splendidly rendered. Smith peels back history to rework the labor landscapes of nineteenth-century California and reintroduce the state into dynamic, Reconstruction-era political and social debates.” —William Deverell, University of Southern California
“A brilliant and long overdue examination of late-nineteenth-century California’s complicated race and labor history. By comparing the stories of bound Native American, African American, Chinese, Latino, and Hawaiian workers, Smith reveals the complexities of California’s racial and labor histories and goes even further to demonstrate the larger implications for the California experience for understanding national stories of abolition, emancipation, Reconstruction, and immigration.” —Michael Magliari, California State University, Chico
