The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta
Title page | |
| Author | John Rollin Ridge |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | W.R. Cook and Company |
Publication date | 1854 |
| Publication place | United States |
The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta: The Celebrated California Bandit (1854) was published by John Rollin Ridge, writing as "Yellow Bird". It is considered to be one of the first novels written in California and the first novel to be published by a Native American. The novel describes the life of a legendary bandit named Joaquín Murrieta who was once a dignified citizen of Mexico. The protagonist becomes corrupt after traveling to California during the California gold rush.
Published as a fictional biography, the book was taken as truth by many historians of the time. The novel received mass attention and was translated to various European languages, including French and Spanish. The novel was also highly plagiarized and Ridge never received the economic gain he hoped for.