Letters of the Office of Indian Affairs, 1849-1880, California Superintendency

The first 30 years of California's statehood were a time of upheaval for American Indians throughout California. New state officials worked to assume control of California's affairs and boundaries, U.S. government officials unfamiliar with California and its Indians arrived to document tribal groups, and private citizens poured into the state after the discovery of gold. The letters in this collection document this turbulent time. Written by state and federal officials and private citizens to the U.S. Office of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., they represent some of the earliest records of direct U.S. involvement with California Indian tribes.

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