All audio files can be found on our catalog page: https://librivox.org/a-history-of-california-the-spanish-period-by-charles-edward-chapman/
If you have ever wondered why Spain (and not Japan, which was so so much better positioned to do it) was first to “settle” the Golden State, this book is for you. Professor Chapman has produced a comprehensive and highly entertaining popular history of “the Californias,” beginning with a nod to geography and the native races and carrying on through to the arrival of Old Glory in 1848.
What might in less capable hands have proved a heavy historical loaf to digest is lightened and leavened with the yeast of “interesting incident” throughout. Consider the plight of the newly-appointed Governor of Alta California, Pedro Fages, whose own wife, the fiery Catalan Doña Eulalia Callis, who, when she wasn't giving away to the “naked indians” all of her own clothes (and the Governor's, too) secretly petitioned the authorities in Mexico for his removal from office. The author relates at some length the romantic story of beautiful Conceptión Argüello, who chose to wait faithfully all her life for the return of the rascally Razánov the Russian, with whom she had fallen in love. The tragic conclusion of this affair is touchingly imagined in an extended quote from the famous poem by Bret Harte.(1)
But not all is frivolity. The historical meat is here as well, in breadth and in detail. The author's stated purpose is “to show that California history is important as well as interesting,—that the great Anza expedition of 1775-1776 and the Yuma massacre of 1781 demand inclusion in any comprehensive history of the United States,—that California, while it indeed has a romantic history to tell, has also a great deal more than that to contribute to the cherished traditions of the American people.” (Preface)
(1) Conceptión de Argüello. by Bret Harte, Presidio de San Francisco, 1800.
(Steven Seitel)
- Text source (only read from this text!): https://archive.org/details/historyofcalifor00chapuoft/page/n11
- Type of proof-listening required (Note: please read the PL FAQ): standard
IMPORTANT - soloist, please note: in order to limit the amount of languishing projects (and hence the amount of files on our hard-pressed server), we ask that you post an update at least once a month in your project thread, even if you haven't managed to record anything. If we don't hear from you for three months, your project may be opened up to a group project if a Book Coordinator is found. Files you have completed will be used in this project. If you haven't recorded anything yet, your project will be removed from the forum (contact any admin to see if it can be re-instated).
Please don't download or listen to files belonging to projects in process (unless you are the BC or PL). Our servers are not set up to handle the greater volume of traffic. Please wait until the project has been completed. Thanks!
Magic Window:
BC Admin
===========================================
Genres for the project: *Non-fiction/History /Modern (19th C); *Non-fiction/History /Early Modern
Keywords that describe the book: early California history, exploration and settlement
============================================ - The reader will record the following at the beginning and end of each file:
No more than 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of the recording!
START of recording (Intro):- "Chapter [number] of A History of California: the Spanish Period. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
- If you wish, say:
"Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]" - Say:
"A History of California: the Spanish Period, by Charles Edward Chapman. [Chapter]"
For the second and all subsequent sections, you may optionally use the shortened form of this intro disclaimer:- "Chapter [number] of A History of California: the Spanish Period by Charles Edward Chapman. This LibriVox recording is in the Public Domain."
- If you wish, say:
"Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]" - Only if applicable, say:
"[Chapter title]"
- At the end of the section, say:
"End of [Chapter]" - If you wish, say:
"Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]" - At the end of the book, say (in addition):
"End of A History of California: the Spanish Period, by Charles Edward Chapman. "
There should be ~5 seconds silence at the end of the recording. - Example filename historyofcalifornia_##_chapman_128kb.mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is the section number (e.g. historyofcalifornia_01_chapman_128kb.mp3)
Transfer of files (completed recordings)
Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file. Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.- Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader: https://librivox.org/login/uploader
(If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin) - You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: craigdav1
- When your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread.
- If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.
Any questions?
Please post below - Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader: https://librivox.org/login/uploader
And happy to know that "the ultimate aim of all historical scholarship" is to write an "authorative popular history". 
Yeah, who needs slaves when there are women enough.