Contents
Preface
1. Death of a Slave
2. Sinking into Debt
3. Burnett and the Mormons
4. Fleeing Debt on the Oregon Trail
5. Marcus and Narcissa: Dying for a Cause
6. A Short Oregon History: Astor’s Debacle
7. Burnett’s Not-Going-to-Happen Big City
8. Rewriting Oregon
9. The Lash Law: “Disgrace and Infamy”
10. Considering His Options
11. Those Darned Debts Again
12. Lusting for California Gold
13. Sutter: “They . . . Ate My Good Indians!’’
14. Samuel Brannan: The Midas Touch
15. Spoils of an Unwanted War
16. Selling Sacramento
17. Matching Wits with the General
18. Slavery and the Border
19. Stumbling Out of the Gate
20. Squatters Everywhere
21. Racing toward Statehood
22. A Governor Resigns, but Why?
23. Rescue at Sea
24. On the Court with Archy Lee
25. Terry and Broderick at Ten Paces
26. Finally, the Good Life
27. Retreating to Religion
Epilogue
Appendix A. Moving On: Men of Ambition
Appendix B. Estimated Immigration on the Oregon Trail, 1840–60
Appendix C. Oregon’s Exclusion Act and Lash Law, June 18, 1844
Appendix D. California Fugitive Slave Act of 1852
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index