In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Jason Sexton, we delve into Kevin's attempt to understand the "California experience." Kevin Starr tried to chronicle California's history in a nuanced yet idealistic way, which connected him to ea

This is the first part of a lively conversation with Dr. Jason Sexton, editor of a book on the renowned California historian Kevin Starr (1940-2017).Sexton describes Starr as Californias most ambitious interpreter. Starrs 8-volume history, spanning the

Imagine California today without any remnants of its Spanish and Mexican past. That almost happened until a group of determined women took action to preserve the state's Hispanic heritage. At the turn of the 20th century, the historic El Camino Real

The California missions ended after Mexico became independent of Spain. The newly independent Mexican government eventually passed laws that called for an end to the mission system through secularization.The laws mandated the missions to be turned over

The episode chronicles the story of Fr. Jos Altimira, a Spanish Franciscan missionary in early 19th century California. Altimira pushed to establish a new mission north of San Francisco Bay, clashing with his Franciscan superiors; he explored the Sonoma

In this episode, we look at the history of Native American Vaqueros.Vaqueros were skilled horsemen who managed cattle and horses. Their tradition probably originates in the horse culture that arrived in Spain from North Africa in the 8th century AD and i

In this episode, we look at Native American life at Mission San Miguel Arcngel through the eyes of the padres who oversaw the mission.Mission San Miguel is located in central California, almost equally distant from San Francisco to the north and Los Ang

In this episode, we delve into the lives of three remarkable women from early San Diego whose stories offer profound insights into the tumultuous times of California's frontier era. Drawing from the rich narratives preserved in Testimonios: Early Cal

This episode features an intriguing conversation with Jorge Del Castillo as he shares his experiences following the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. This historic trail was a route used by Spanish settlers in the 18th century to reach Northe

This is a special episode from the California Frontier Show archives.In this episode, I speak with Greg Bernal-Mendoza Smestad, a direct descendant of the families who settled Alta California over 200 years ago.  Greg talks to us about their journey, the