Los Angeles Pobladores
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Los Pobladores refers to the original "townspeople" or settlers of the city of Los Angeles, California. When Governor Felipe de Neve of New Spain was assigned to settle what is now Southern California he commissioned a complete sets of maps and plans to be drawn up for the design and = colonization of the new pueblo. Finding the individuals to actually do the work of building and living in the city proved to be a more daunting task. Neve finally located the new and willing dwellers in Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico. But gathering the pobladores (settlers) was a little more difficult. The new townsfolk comprised of 11 families, that is, 11 men, 11 women, and 22 children of various Mexican classes: Spanish, Mulatto and African.
The official date is September 4, 1781 when under escort by a military detachment did the 44 pobladores gather at San Gabriel Mission along with two padres from the Mission, set out for the site that Father Juan Crespi had chosen. El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles sobre El Rio Porciuncula, (Spanish for The Town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels on the Porciuncula River) is the official long version of the city of Los Angeles founded by the Pobladores.
Not limited to Los Angeles, the earliest Hispanic settlers of all of California were almost exclusively from the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Sonora. The author and historian, Dr. Antonio Ríos-Bustamante, has written that "the original settlers of Los Angeles were racially mixed persons of Indian, African, and European descent. This mixed racial composition was typical of both the settlers of Alta California and of the majority of the population of the northwest coast provinces of Mexico from which they were recruited." In the century preceding the Expedition of 1781, Dr. Ríos-Bustamante relates that many Indians in this region had been "culturally assimilated and ethnically intermixed into the Spanish-speaking mestizo society."
William M. Mason, Los Angeles and Early California historian, uncovered the ethnic richness of La Reina de los Angeles through extensive research. Mason, one of three founders of the Los Angeles Historical Society, authored six books and several articles regarding the early history and cultures around Southern California and he is credited with helping to uncover the facts about Los Angeles' original families.
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[edit] Majority of African Descent
“Of the 44 original pobladores colonists who founded Los Angeles, only two were white,” “Of the other 42, 26 had some degree of African ancestry and 16 were Indians or mestizos [people of mixed Spanish and Indian blood].”
[edit] African Origins Eventually Erased
Like the original settlers of other parts of California and New Spain in general the Pobladores reflected varied backgrounds — peninsular (born in Spain), criollo (born in New Spain of pure Spanish ancestry), Indian, Black, mestizo (of Spanish and Indian ancestry), mulatto (of Spanish and[ [African ancestry]]), and zambo (of Indian and African ancestry). Most colonists were of mixed racial backgrounds, and the process of mestizaje (racial mixture) continued in California, including mixture with various California Indian civilizations. Many mestizos strove, sometimes successfully, to become identified as pure-blooded Spaniards because racial identity affected socio-economic mobility.
Los Californios were the early land-holding families of California descendents of Spanish, Indian, and African peoples who colonized the present-day state of California after 1769. Alta California, as it was known then, marked the northern frontier of the Spanish empire in the [New World].
Some historians emphasize the difference between a "Spaniard" and a "Mexican" in terms of race. For example, "colonial Mexicans" are "persons of mixed blood." The implication is, of course, that Spaniards are persons of "unmixed blood" or racially "pure" types. This is a gross oversimplification and ignores the fact that "the population of the Iberian Peninsula was anything but ethnically homogeneous." As Magnus Mörner has observed, the seven centuries prior to the discovery of the New World in Spain "witnessed extraordinary acculturation and race mixture." At one time in the history of Mexico there were more African slaves held in Mexico than in colonial America north of the border. Moreover, "mestizos born in wedlock, at least during the sixteenth century, were accepted as criollos; that is, 'American Spaniards'. In short, the definition of "Mexican" confuses race with nationality in the modern period and with caste in the colonial period; in addition, by this definition of "Mexican," neither an Indian nor a criollo or Negro would be Mexican because they are, by social definition at least, of "unmixed blood."
The state of California itself was named for a mythical black/African woman. A 16th-century Spanish novel Las Sergas de las Esplandians the story of Queen Califa, ruler of an island inhabited by black Amazons living in caves full of gems, led the first Spanish explorers in search of this island called California. As this is merely a folktale, this story doesn't really qualify as the beginning of African American history in Los Angeles. The true story begins in 1781, when the 44 settlers founded "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula" under Spanish rule. Thus, more than half of these original pobladores—Antonio Mesa, Manuel Camero, Luis Quintero, Jose Moreno, their wives, and the wives of Jose Antonio Navarro and Basilio Rosas—had African ancestors.
[edit] Descendants Became Early Civic Leaders, from Mayors to Governor
Descendants of these settlers were prominent in developing the Los Angeles area. Some, such as Andres Pico and Juan Francisco Reyes, acquired vast ranchos.
Among those exercising considerable political and economic power were mayors Juan Francisco Reyes and Tiburcio Tapia. Pio Pico, the last governor of California under Mexican rule and the builder of Pico House, was a large landowner and businessman. Grandchildren of Luis Quintero included Eugene Biscailuz, who served as sheriff of Los Angeles, and Maria Rita Valdes Villa, whose 1838 land grant is now Beverly Hills.
[edit] Founding Families of El Pueblo De La Reina De Los Angeles,
from Padrón of the Original Pueblo on November 19th, 1781
(Family Name, Racial Classifications, Gender and Ages)
Lara José Fernanco de, Español, Hombre, 50 María Antonio, India, Mujer, 23 María Juan, Niña, 6 José Julian, Niño, 4 María Faustina, Niña, 2
Navarro José Antonio, Mestizo, Hombre, 42 María Regina, Mulata, Mujer, 47 José Eduardo, Niño, 10 José Clemente, Niño, 9 Mariana, Niña, 4
Rosas Basilio, Indio, Hombre, 67 María Manuela, Mulata, Mujer, 43 José Maxímo, Niño, 15 José Carlos, Niño, 12 María Josefa, Niña, 8 Antonio Rosalino, Niño, 7 José Marcelino, Niño, 4 José Esteban, Niño, 2
Mesa Antonio, Negro, Hombre, 38 María Ana, Mulata, Mujer, 27 María Paula, Niña, 10 Antonio María, Niño, 8
Villavicencio Antonio Clemente, Español, Hombre, 30 María Seferina, India, Mujer, 26 María Antonia, Niña, 8
Vanegas José, Indio, Hombre, 28 María Bonifacia, India, Mujer, 20 Cosme Damien, Niño, 1
Rosas Alejandro, Indio, Hombre, 19 Juana María, India, Mujer, 20
Rodríguez Pablo, Indio, Hombre, 25 María Rosalía, India, 26 María Antonia, Niña, 1
Camero Manuel, Mulato, Hombre, 30 María Tomasa, Mulata, Mujer, 24
Quintero Luis, Negro, Hombre, 55 María Petra, Mulata, Mujer, 40 María Gertrudis, Niña, 16 María Concepcíon, Niña, 9 María Tomasa, Niña, 7 María Rafaela, Niña, 6 José Clemente, Niño, 3
Moreno José, Mulato, Hombre, 22 María Guadalupe, Mulata, Mujer, 19
[edit] Historic Walk of Los Pobladores
"Los Pobladores Historic Walk to Los Angeles" occurs each year over the Labor Day Weekend when the cities of [San Gabriel] and Los Angeles join to celebrate Los Pobladores's last nine mile trek to the city center. Claremont, California, columnist and administrator, T. Willard Hunter, and descendants of the original founders of the city, began the tradition of the walk in 1981.
[edit] External links
"Diversity gave birth to L.A.". Los Angeles Times [1]
Los Pobladores.org [2]
The founding documents of Los Angeles : a bilingual edition by Doyce Blackman Nunis; Harry Kelsey; Theodore E Treutlein; Thomas Workman Temple; Historical Society of Southern California.; Zamorano Club.
Journal of San Diego History [3]
University of California Calisphere Cultures [4]
National Park Service [5]
Los Angeles Under The Spanish Flag Southern California Genealogical Society [www.scgsgenealogy.com/storage/Northrup3.pdf]
Probable Location of the Original Pueblo de la Reina de los Ángeles on the River Porciúncula [7]
