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Examining California's formative years, this innovative study seeks to discover the origins of the California dream and the social, psychological, and symbolic impact it has had not only on Californians but also on the rest of the country.

In the late nineteenth century, California became the cutting edge of the American dream, the final frontier both geographically and in the minds of the many men and women who went there to pursue their destinies. In this fascinating volume Keven Starr examines California's formative... Read Full Overview

Written by a native San Franciscan who combines a moving and expressive style with the objective eye of the scholar, Professor Starr's chronicle will appeal to all those who relish American history set forth in vivid detail and enriched with insight.