When we think of California, we might think about sunny weather, Hollywood, beaches, wine country, and perhaps the Gold Rush.

What we don’t usually think about when we think about California is the state’s long history of slavery.

Jean Pfaelzer, a Californian and a Professor Emerita of English, Asian Studies, and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Delaware, joins us to lead us through some of California’s long 250-year history of slavery with details from her book, California: A Slave State.