After working for a time in his brother-in-law's bookstore in Buffalo, New York, Bancroft moved to California in 1852, where he opened his own small book and stationery store in Crescent City. By 1858, his shop had become the largest west of Chicago. An avid collector, Bancroft had accumulated a large collection of Californiana, including books, manuscripts, newspapers and pamphlets. His collection expanded to include the entire Pacific states and near western region to Texas. When it was moved to the University of California in 1905, it amounted to over 60,000 items. From 1874 to 1890, he published 39 volumes on the history of the western region which began with Native Races of the Pacific States and ended with Literary Industries. He accomplished this feat with the aid of hundreds of assistants who never received credit for their work. In 1891, he followed this with the 8-volume The Chronicles of the Builders and shortly thereafter by several volumes of essays. All of these volumes were sold on a subscription basis and were very popular, although much of the content was criticized by leading authorities of the time, including the historian Lewis Spence. Bancroft died of injuries sustained when he was struck by a streetcar.
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