The Native Races (Vol. 1-5) (ePub)

Hubert Howe Bancroft (1832-1918) was a prolific American historian and ethnologist, renowned for his comprehensive work on the western United States, Native American cultures, and Central America. Born in Granville, Ohio, he moved to California during the Gold Rush period, where he ultimately established a bookselling and publishing business. Emanating from his vast collection of manuscripts, documents, and books about the West, Bancroft dedicated himself to extensive historical research. His magnum opus is the impressive 39-volume series known as 'The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft,' which details various aspects of the Pacific states' histories. The series 'The Native Races' falls within this larger endeavor and encompasses five volumes, meticulously delving into the aboriginal populations of the Americas. This particular subset is critical for its innovative, for the time, ethnographic approach to the study of indigenous cultures, their social structures, myths, languages, and artifacts. Bancroft's detailed classification and description of native civilizations had a profound impact on the early scholarship in American anthropology and history. Despite some criticism for biases and his method of utilizing assistants to compile research, Bancroft's contributions to the literary and historical landscape have been significant. His works remain valuable resources and testament to his ambition to chronicle and preserve the history of the American West and its inhabitants.