Herbert Eugene Bolton

by Hurtado, Albert L.

• ISBN13: 9780520272163
• ISBN10: 0520272161
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-02-29
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

This definitive biography offers a new critical assessment of the life, works, and ideas of Herbert E. Bolton (1870-1953), a leading historian of the American West, Mexico, and Latin America. Bolton, a famous pupil of Frederick Jackson Turner, formulated a concept--the borderlands--that is a foundation of historical studies today. His research took him not only to the archives and libraries of Mexico but out on the trails blazed by Spanish soldiers and missionaries during the colonial era. Bolton helped establish the reputation of the University of California and the Bancroft Library in the eyes of the world and was influential among historians during his lifetime, but interest in his ideas waned after his death. Now, more than a century after Bolton began to investigate the Mexican archives, Albert Hurtado explores his life against the backdrop of the cultural and political controversies of his day. In this superbly researched and engaging work, he sheds new light on Frederick Jackson Turner, illuminates the formative years of the University of California, and establishes the significance of a historian who shaped our understanding of the West.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
A Note on Language	p. xv
Introduction: The Border Lord	p. 1
The Scholars' Hard Road	p. 5
A Gathering at Lake Mendota	p. 21
Gone to Texas	p. 39
Many Roads to California	p. 58
In Stephens's Grove	p. 79
Foundations of Empire	p. 96
Teachers and StudentsùWorlds Apart	p. 112
Of Presidents and Politics	p. 129
Race, Place, and Heroes	p. 144
Exploration, Empire, and Patrimony	p. 159
The Grand Patriarch	p. 175
Bury My Heart at Corte Madera	p. 192
Western Revolt and Retirement	p. 210
Defending the Empire	p. 224
The Fading Pageant	p. 240
The Emperor Departs	p. 252
Afterword: The Debatable Legacy	p. 265
Abbreviations Used in the Notes	p. 271
Notes	p. 273
Bibliography	p. 313
Index	p. 345
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