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Sierra Crossing : First Roads to California by Thomas Frederick Howard is a book available to read on EtoBox.

What is Sierra Crossing : First Roads to California about?

A critical era in California's history and developmentthe building of the first roads over the Sierra Nevadais thoroughly and colorfully documented in Thomas Howard's fascinating book. During California's first two decades of statehood (1850-1870), the state was separated from the east coast by a sea journey of at least six weeks. Although Californians expected to be connected with the other states by railroad soon after the 1849 Gold Rush, almost twenty years elapsed before this occurred. Meanwhile, various overland road ventures were launched by "emigrants," former gold miners, state government officials, the War Department, the Interior Department, local politicians, town businessmen, stagecoach operators, and other entrepreneurs whose alliances with one another were constantly shifting. The broad landscape of international affairs is also a part of Howard's story. Constructing roads and accumulating geographic information in the Sierra Nevada reflected Washington's interest in securing the vast western territories formerly held by others. In a remarkably short time the Sierra was transformed by vigorous exploration, road-promotion, and road-building. Ox-drawn wagons gave way to

Author

Thomas Frederick Howard

Publisher

Berkeley: University of California Press

Published

1998

Language

EN

ISBN

9780520226869

Subjects

History, Travel, Business