California’s Long History of Slavery

In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World, Jean Pfaelzer, a Californian and a Professor Emerita of English, Asian Studies, and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Delaware, joins us to lead us through some of California’s long 250-year history of slavery with details from her book, California: A Slave State (Yale University Press, 2023).

When we think of California, we might think about sunny weather, Hollywood, beaches, wine country, and perhaps the Gold Rush. What we don’t usually think about when we think about California is the state’s long history of slavery.

Using details from her book California, A Slave State, Pfaelzer reveals: the great diversity of California’s Indigenous populations prior to Spanish colonization; Details about how and why the Spanish, Russians, Americans, and Chinese brought different forms of slavery to California; And, the truth about the myth that California entered the United States union as a “free state” in 1850.

You can listen to the podcast here.

Ben Franklin’s World is an award-winning podcast. It’s for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our world. Each episode features an interview with a historian who shares their unique insights into our early American past. It is a production of Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios.

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