Significance of the Zamorano Press

All in all, The Zamorano was very important and significant to both the Mexican government as well as under the American government.

While it was under the Mexican government, the press was first brought to Alta California ten years after Mexico declared independence from Spain. It was under the Mexican government where Jose Fugeroa and Augustin Zamorano printed many different government documents for the people in the area, specifically those who lived in Monterey. The press was the first press in Alta California and helped keep the people of the area in touch with their government and the news.

While the Zamorano press, during the American government, focused much more on producing several different newspapers that in many of the areas the press found itself in being the “first.” While it was particularly in San Francisco and Monterey, the press was used to produce the newspaper Californian that was printed in both Spanish and English giving a reflection of the indigenous Spanish speaking people there at the time as well as the American colonists who came under the American rule of the territory.

When the Gold Rush became prominent in California, 1848, it brought in many more colonists to the territory which brought the need for faster information leading to many new newspapers being created throughout the territory. The Zamorano moved to Sacramento where it was used to start the Placer Times and then moved to Stockton where it started the Stockton Times. This newspaper was very important in that it got the word out on what was happening in regards to the Americanization of California. (Bibliographical Society of America 26:57).

In addition, when the press moved towards the gold rush mine cities (Sonora & Columbia), it started many newspapers that gave information about the local news as well as the news for the territory in growing towns. The Zamorano press, as mentioned, introduced many different firsts within California territory. It was the first press as well as started many first newspapers in different towns, which essentially set the stage for how printing and newspapers were presented to the public throughout California.

The Zamorano press was so inspirational to California history that it became the namesake for the Zamorano club: a club that is made up of “bibliophiles and manuscript collectors.” In addition, the club even created the Zamorano 80, which is a list of what some members of the Zamorano club considered important texts in California history (The Zamorano Club).