Hubert Howe Bancroft
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| Hubert Howe Bancroft | |
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| Born | May 5, 1832 Granville, Ohio |
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| Died | March 2, 1918 San Francisco, CA |
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| NAME | Bancroft, Hubert Howe |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American historian and ethnologist, was born in Granville, Ohio |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 5, 1832 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Granville, Ohio |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 2, 1918 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Hubert Howe Bancroft (May 5, 1832– March 2, 1918), an American historian and ethnologist, was born in Granville, Ohio. He attended the Granville Academy until he was sixteen, and he then became a clerk in a bookstore in Buffalo, New York. Relocating to San Francisco, California, he managed a bookstore there from March 1852 to 1868, and he began his own publishing house. He also accumulated a great library of historical material, and eventually he gave up business to devote himself entirely to writing and publishing history.
Bancroft is interred in the Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California. The Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley is named in his honor.
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[edit] Critique of production methods
Bancroft published a well-known group of local histories. Having formed a large collection of materials on the history of the Pacific coast, he then employed research and writing assistants to organize and produce statements of facts for large sections of a proposed general history. Originally he seems to have intended to use these statements of facts as the basis of a narrative which he himself would write; but as the work progressed he came to use the statements as they stood, with only slight changes. He said his assistants were capable investigators, and there is independent evidence to show that some of them deserved his confidence. However, his failure to acknowledge each contribution created doubt concerning the value of any particular section. Overall, although Bancroft considered himself the author of the work, it is more accurate to consider him an editor and compiler.
Neither Bancroft, nor most of his assistants, had preparatory training sufficient to save them from pitfalls common to historical works of this period. Their writing reflected personal opinions and enthusiasms, and their often-good books consequently have some serious defects. However, they were generally very well-received in their time. Historian Francis Parkman gave The Native Races high credit in The North American Review. Lewis H. Morgan, however, was more critical. Based on his newly-published theory of Indian culture, in an article called Montezuma's Dinner, Morgan completely reversed Parkman's verdict and raised doubt in the minds of the public about this and other volumes of the series. Bancroft's response to Morgan's criticism suggests that he did not understand Morgan's theory, which now is generally accepted by scholars.
[edit] Controversial Racist Opinions
In chronicling the October 18, 1871 massacre of 19 Chinese people in Los Angeles Bancroft commented that the lynchings were a "right of revolution," and a democratic expression of the majority's "right . . . to suspend the action of the law . . . whenever they deem it essential to the well being of society to do so," rather than a lack of "due deference" or "disrespect for the law."
[edit] Schools
Several schools are named for Bancroft, including Hubert Howe Bancroft Middle School in Long Beach, California.
[edit] Published works
- Native Races of the Pacific States (vols. 1–5, 1874)
- History of Central America (vols. 6–8, 1883–87)
- History of Mexico (vols. 9–14, 1883–87)
- History of the Northern Mexican States and Texas (vols. 15–16, 1884–89)
- History of Arizona and New Mexico (vol. 17, 1889)
- History of California (vols. 18–24, 1884–90)
- History of Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming (vol. 25, 1890)
- History of Utah (vol. 26, 1889)
- History of the North-West Coast (vols. 27–28, 1884)
- History of Oregon (vols. 29–30, 1886–88)
- History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana (vol. 31, 1890)
- History of British Columbia (vol. 32, 1887)
- History of Alaska (vol. 33, 1886)
- California Pastorals (vol. 34, 1888)
- California inter Pocula (vol. 35, 1888)
- Popular Tribunals (vols. 36–37, 1887)
- Essays and Miscellany (vol. 38, 1890)
- Literary Industries (vol. 39, 1890).
- Book of the Fair
- Book of Wealth
- Resources of Mexico
- The New Pacific
[edit] Spring Valley ranch
In 1885 Bancroft purchased a ranch with an adobe home on it located in Spring Valley, in San Diego County, as a retirement home. It now is a National Historic Landmark.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21) (VOLUME XVII. Later National Literature, Part II: XV. Later Historians: § 27. Hubert Howe Bancroft.)
[edit] External links
- Some Cities and San Francisco and Resurgam
- Works by Hubert Howe Bancroft at Project Gutenberg
- The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft: Currently Vols. 1 through 39
- Works of Bancroft at The Online Books Page
- Bancroft History of California Vol V. Bear Flag Revolt
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