The Bandini Papers

This book presents spirited original translations of selected documents preserved by one of the most prominent figures of pre-Yankee California, Juan Bandini, many of them written by him, with the incisive insight, eloquence, wide understanding, and flashes of wit for which he was known by his contemporaries. The longest document by far is Juan Bandini’s own Sketch of the History of Upper California, a translation of which has long been a desideratum for those researching California and its history. Included as well is a work by Juan Bandini’s father, José Bandini, Notes for the History of California, written two decades earlier. Both Bandinis write with a brisk and thoughtful clarity, most often supplying all the reader needs to understand the ideas or events being related. This arises from a deep personal understanding of their topics through long experience and the opportunities for observation arising from such experience, Bandini the father through his naval service and as a maritime merchant, Bandini the son via his father and then building on that through his political and social activities at local, territorial, and national levels. Needless to state, comments on the history of California’s pre-Yankee period from a person who was one of the pre-eminent figures participating in it enrich our understanding of the conditions, motives, and atmosphere of that period in an immediate way; we begin to understand it as they understood it. Other documents of the time are included here as well--letters, speeches, minutes of meetings, and other miscellanea--all enriching the reader's knowledge and familiarity with Old California. Bounteous and detailed footnotes further enhance the reader's understanding of this fascinating and dramatic era of California's history. In Bandini’s own words, “After years have passed, after centuries have passed, a reader will find here some things that he may wish to know despite any passage of time.” Read more