The father of all : the de la Guerra family, power, and patriarchy in Mexican California / Louise Pubols

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- "A thing of honor and profit" : the creation of California's elite families -- Padre de la patria, padre de familias -- Open ports and intermarriage -- Native sons : land hunger, liberalism, and rebellion -- Home rule : family honor in free California -- Reinventing patriarchy in time of war -- Epilogue.

Amid sweeping economic and political changes, including the U.S.Mexican War, the de la Guerra family continually adapted and reinvented themselves. This absorbing narrative is much more than the history of an elite and powerful family, however. Pubols analyzes the region's trading and provisioning economy and clarifies its volatile political rivalries. By tracing a web of business and family relationships, Pubols shows in practical terms how patriarchy functioned from generation to generation in Spanish and Mexican California. This is the first of a series of books on western history to be copublished by the Huntington Library and University of California Press.

English