The story of Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe, better known as Dame Shirley, a famous gold-seeker of the 1850's who was also the author of 'The Gold Rush Letters'.

Relates how a series of letters, written by a woman known as Dame Shirley and published in a San Francisco magazine in 1854 and 1855, were instrumental in inciting the California gold rush.

A pioneer woman describes life near a northern California mining camp during the fabled "gold rush."

Dame Shirley's insightful narrative of life in new mining communities at the height of the California Gold Rush are lively and poignant, shedding light on the social life that accompanied this famous chapter in history. Collected and republished, these letters are mainly taken from a publication named The Pioneer, where many of Dame Shirley's humorous and interesting correspondences were published. Many detail the bars, hotels, stores and other establishments springing up in the vicinity of the mining operations, as formerly quiet and unsettled country districts became hives of activity in the space of mere months. Shirley details the culture springing up around the valleys and hills of California, as thousands of new miners and prospectors arrive with their families, all hoping to strike it rich. Many hailed not simply from the United States, but elsewhere too: suddenly, the California of the 1850s was home to a multicultural and exotic atmosphere, which Dame Shirley's observations bring out.

Dame Shirley's insightful narrative of life in new mining communities at the height of the California Gold Rush are lively and poignant, shedding light on the social life that accompanied this famous chapter in history. Collected and republished, these letters are mainly taken from a publication named The Pioneer, where many of Dame Shirley's humorous and interesting correspondences were published. Many detail the bars, hotels, stores and other establishments springing up in the vicinity of the mining operations, as formerly quiet and unsettled country districts became hives of activity in the space of mere months. Shirley details the culture springing up around the valleys and hills of California, as thousands of new miners and prospectors arrive with their families, all hoping to strike it rich. Many hailed not simply from the United States, but elsewhere too: suddenly, the California of the 1850s was home to a multicultural and even exotic atmosphere, which the sophisticated observations of Dame Shirley bring out. Although most of the miners did not become rich, many found the convivial atmosphere appealing. In the years following The Pioneer magazine's publication, many stayed in California and - as the fury of the gold rush subsided - settled down permanently in other vocations. Dame Shirley's letters remain a fascinating slice of California history, giving readers a genuine and spirited account of the era from a woman who saw it with her own eyes.

California is a region of rich geographic and human diversity. The Elusive Eden charts the historical development of California, beginning with landscape and climate and the development of Native cultures, and continues through the election of Governor Gavin Newsom. It portrays a land of remarkable richness and complexity, settled by waves of people with diverse cultures from around the world. Now in its fifth edition, this up-to-date text provides an authoritative, original, and balanced survey of California history incorporating the latest scholarship. Coverage includes new material on political upheavals, the global banking crisis, changes in education and the economy, and California's shifting demographic profile. This edition of The Elusive Eden features expanded coverage of gender, class, race, and ethnicity, giving voice to the diverse individuals and groups who have shaped California. With its continued emphasis on geography and environment, the text also gives attention to regional issues, moving from the metropolitan areas to the state's rural and desert areas. Lively and readable, The Elusive Eden is organized in ten parts. Each chronological section begins with an in-depth narrative chapter that spotlights an individual or group at a critical moment of historical change, bringing California history to life.

Educated in Amherst, Massachusetts, Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe (1819-1906) accompanied her physician-husband to California in 1849. The couple first lived in mining camps where Dr. Clappe practiced medicine and then moved to San Francisco, where Mrs. Clappe taught in the public schools for more than twenty years. The Shirley letters (1922) is the book edition of a series of letters written by Mrs. Clappe to her sister in 1851 and 1852. They were first published under the pseudonym of "Dame Shirley" in the Pioneer magazine, 1854-55. In these letters Louise Clappe writes of life in San Francisco and the Feather River mining communities of Rich Bar and Indian Bar. She focuses on the experiences of women and children, the perils of miners' work, crime and punishment, and relations with native Hispanic residents and Native Americans. Bret Harte is said to have based two of his stories on the "Shirley" letters.

Explores the role of sex and gender on California's multi-cultural frontier under the influences of Spain, Mexico, and the United States.