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California Frontier
Prof. Damian Bacich shares the history you didn't learn in school. Each episode is a deep dive into the fascinating early history of California and the West. Listen to stories and interviews with scholars, experts, and people who are passionate about a time when California was the frontier of empire and imagination.
California Frontier
086: The Missions of Baja California with Author David Kier Part 1
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In this episode, host Damian Bacich talks with David Kier about his lifelong interest in Baja California and its missions.
Kier explains how family trips he took as a child sparked a passion that later led him to make maps, write guidebooks, and become an expert on mission history. He describes when and why the Jesuit, Franciscan, and Dominican missions were founded in Baja California between 1697 and 1849, clears up myths about “lost missions,” and explains how disease and Spanish colonization affected Native peoples.
The episode also looks at how the name “California” originally referred to Baja California before spreading north, how control of the region changed from Spain to Mexico, and why Kier believes it is important to study history carefully while staying open to new discoveries.
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Contact:
damian@californiafrontier.net
