Agustín V. Zamorano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

Agustín Vicente Zamorano (1798–1842) California pioneer printer.

Zamorano was born 1798 in Florida to Spanish parents. He entered the army May 1, 1821 as a cadet. He served in old Mexico then came to in California in 1825 as Secretary of State to Governor of Alta California to the governor, José María Echeandía. He served until 1831, during which he would create letterheads from woodblocks and type, without a printing press. During January 31, 1832–January 15, 1833 Zamorano was provisional Governor of Alta California, in the north, with José María de Echeandía, in the south.

In February 1827 Zamorano married María Luisa Argüello daughter of Santiago Argüello, in a famous double wedding in San Diego. His children were Dolores, Luis, Gonzalo, Guadalupe, Josefa, Agustín, and Eulalia.

Zamorano took part in the 1831 Mexican Revolution, heading a group of rebels in Monterey, including a number of foreign residents, as Captain of the Monterey Company.

When Governor Manuel Victoria fled California January 1832, in the face of revolution, Echeandía remained acting governor until an assembly met in Los Angeles. Pío Pico was chosen governor according to the Plan of San Diego, but officials in Los Angeles refused to recognize him. Zamorano proceeded to lead a rebellion in northern Alta California, and acting as governor there, with Encheadía acting as governor in the southern Alta California. When Governor José Figueroa arrived in 1833, Zamorano returned to his former role of secretary

Zamorano is most famous for being the first person to bring a printing press to California, a wood-frame Ramage press purchased by Zamorano in Boston. He set up a print shop in Monterey in the summer of 1834 and publishes the first books in California, and, as secretary to the Mexican Governor, printed early proclamations of Mexican governors. The first book printed was Manifiesto a la Republica Mejicana in 1835. The Mmanifesto granted amnesty to the people of California after the recent rebellion. It was preceded only by sixteen-page Reglamento (1834) and about a half-dozen broadsides and sheets. He also offered to provide "equitable prices with gentlemen who may wish to establish any periodical," but nobody took up his offer. In total, he printed 11 broadsides, six books, six miscellaneous works, and numerous letterheads.

The first newspaper wasn't printed until U.S. Commodore Robert F. Stockton found Zamorano's old press and Walter Colton, chaplain of the U.S. frigate Congress and former editor of the Philadelphia North American started the Monterey Californian.

Capt. Zamorano was the last appointed Commandant of the Presidio of San Diego during 1835–1840, but never assumed command. He was in San Diego in that period only during 1837–1838.

Zamorano left California in 1838 and returned in 1842, and died that year in San Diego.

The Zamorano Club was formed in 1928 by a group of California book collectors, printers, and librarians in honor of Zamorano.

[edit] See also


Preceded by:
Pío Pico		 Governor of Alta California
1825–1831		 Succeeded by:
José Figueroa
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/g/u/Agust%C3%ADn_V._Zamorano_1f89.html"