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[[File: Zorro One.jpg |200px|thumb|left|The cover of the first Zorro novel]]__NOTOC__

Zorro was created by the pulp-fiction writer Johnston McCulley (1883-1958). He was a prolific author and wrote hundreds of short stories and novels. In 1919, he wrote the book The Curse of Capistrano, which introduced Zorro, to the world . McCulley did not intend to write any more works based on the Californian character. The book was bought by a Hollywood studio who made a movie based on the novel, called the Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks, a superstar at the time . <ref>Curtis, Sandra. Zorro Unmasked: The Official History (LA, Hyperion, 1998), p. 12</ref>.

This Mark of Zorro was a hit , and Hollywood executives persuaded McCulley to write more stories based on the dashing outlaw. McCulley wrote Zorro stories for almost 40 years. The novel <i>The Curse of Capistrano</i> has sold over 50 million copies and is one of the most commercially successful novels of all time. The Californian hero Zorro has appeared in countless books, movies, and theatrical productions. <ref>Curtis, p. 19</ref> In recent years there have even been video games based on the famous character.

The character is shown as wearing a black cape and a sombrero. He often publicly humiliated officials and soldiers as punishment for their treatment of Californians. Zorro marked the oppressors of the people with a Z, his personal mark. Because of his struggles with the colonial government , he is outlawed and has a bounty placed on his head but is loved by the common people, who help him.

Zorro stories often mixed swashbuckling and romance. Diego loves was in love with Lolita Pulido, a poor noblewoman, but she dislikes who disliked him and indeed loves but loved his alter-ego. In the stories, Zorro is shown as being pursued by the local Caballeros, but over time he wins them around to his cause, and they offer him invaluable help. In some iterations of the story, Zorro would pass the mantle on to younger men who would assume his identity and carry on his fight for justice.

There are many fictional works that may have inspired the creation of Zorro. He can be likened to the semi-legendary Robin Hood, the English bowman who fought the corrupt and cruel Sheriff of Nottingham and was a champion of the poor . <ref>McCulley, p III</ref>. Then there There are also similarities between Zorro and the character created by the Baroness Orczy, the Scarlett Pimpernel. This character also , like Zorro, leads a secret life and helps the innocent, in this instance, French aristocrats during the French Revolution. The Scarlett Pimpernel also pretends like Diego to be a selfish pleasure-seeker to conceal his real activities.  Another possible inspiration for the character of Zorro was the work of Vicente Riva Palacio y Guerrero. He wrote a fictionalized account of William Lamport, an Irish soldier an adventurer who lived in Mexico in the 17th century. The novel by Palacio y Guerrero narrates the many remarkable adventures of Lamport and how he attempted the raise a rebellion against Spanish rule in Mexico.

[[File: Zorro three.png |250px|thumb|left|Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo]]Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo is a legendary figure from the history of California. He is regarded as a folk-hero and the Robin Hood of the Old West. Joaquin Murrieta was born in Sonora, Mexico. He was a vaquero or a cowboy , and like so many more from around the world he journeyed traveled to California during the gold rush of 1849 with his brother and his young wifeand brother. Joaquin Murrieta was by all accounts a hard-working family man .<ref> Alexander, Marc. "ZORRO: Behind The Mask." Américas 59, no. 1 (2007): 45</ref>. He became a prospector , but appears to have fallen he ran afoul with a group of some White white miners. Joaquin Murrieta’s wife was also attacked, and this led to her deathmurdered by these men. Joaquin somehow survived , and he went on to become a card dealer in a saloon. He was His brother joined by his brother him, and the two prospered.  One day some white settlers accused him of stealing a horse or a mule. This led to Then settlers horsewhipped him being horsewhipped and the murder of murdered his brother. Joaquin swore revenge and one by one he killed those who had murdered killed his brother and wife. There is no agreed version of the story, but it seems that he then formed a gang of Mexican bandits who preyed on miners and others in California. This gang became known as the ‘Five Joaquins’ gang , and they terrorized a large area of the territory and are believed to have killed up to 40 people in a period of only two years.  In 1853 the California state legislature put a bounty on the head of Joaquin. In 1853 a troop of California State rangers ambushed him and his gang .<ref> Alexander, p. 113</ref>. The bandit was killed, and the rangers claimed and received the reward. However, a later legend arose that Joaquin had escaped alive from the ambush.  There are certain similarities between Zorro and Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo. Both They were motivated by a burning sense of injustice and a desire to fight injustice and corruption. However, the bandit began to prey upon the on innocent Californians after he had avenged those killed the men who had wronged attacked him so grievously. Unlike Joaquin, while Zorro was always shown to be scrupulously fair and a protector of ordinary people. Moreover, he was active during the early history of American California, while Zorro is always shown as the sworn enemy of the corrupt colonial Spanish authorities.<ref> Alexander, p. 113</ref>.

Salomon Pico (1821-1860) came from a wealthy Californio family, that is he came from a longwas well-established Hispanic family in the territory. He was a cousin of the last Mexican governor of California. Pico fought in the Mexican American War (1821-1860) and after the American victory he returned to his native California. He lived quietly for some time, but the Gold Rush of 1849, led to his forever altered the territory. His land being was overrun by white prospectors and it appears that this led to the death of his wife.<ref>Starr, Kevin. California: A history. Vol. 23 (London, Random House Digital, Inc., 2007), p. 132</ref>.  Pico swore revenge against the prospectors’, and he formed a gang of outlaws. They preyed upon lone travelers’ and soon became feared and reviled by the local Anglo community. Pico was seen as a protector of the Hispanic community and many sheltered him and his gang. In 1851, he and some of his gang were captured by vigilantes. He luckily escaped with his life and made his way to Mexico. Here he once again turned to banditry but was later captured and executed. There are undoubted similarities between Pico and Zorro, including their popularity with the common people.

Vasquez was from a well-established Californio family. He came under the influence of a local bandit and was drawn to chose a life of crime. It seems that he was what some historians call a ‘social bandit’ and he took to crime as a way of protesting at the treatment of Hispanics by the Anglo community in California .<ref> Hobsbawn, G., Social Banditry (London, Vintage, 2001), p 4</ref>.  Vasquez was a romantic figure who was very handsome and even wrote poetry. Like Zorro, he became very popular with many of the common people, who regarded him as a Robin Hood figure. Vasquez claimed that he had never killed a man. He also claimed that he wanted California to be returned to the rule of Mexico. In 1874 , he was betrayed to the authorities, imprisoned and later executed. He was hanged because he participated in a robbery, during which a man was killed. Vasquez is still a controversial figure and is seen regarded as a folk hero to some , and many people still seek out his grave. ==== Estanislao====[[File: Zorro four.jpg|250px|thumb|left| A Spanish mission in Baja, California]]The native people of California suffered greatly during the Mexican and later the American occupation of the area. The Spanish decided to Christianize and ‘civilize’ the natives by forcing them on to Missions that were run by religious orders. <ref> Starr, p. 131</ref> In these missions, the native people suffered greatly, and many died of abuse and disease at the missions.

[[File: Zorro three.png |200px|thumb|left|An artist’s impression of Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo]]== Estanislao==The native people of California suffered greatly during the Mexican and later the American occupation of the area. The Spanish decided to Christianize and ‘civilize’ the natives by forcing them on to Missions that were run by religious orders <ref> Starr, p. 131</ref>. In these missions, the native people suffered greatly, and many died of abuse and disease at the missions. Many Indian tribes revolted against this the missions including the Yokut. Estanislao was a member of the Yokut tribe, that lived in modern California and he . He raised a rebellion against the Missions and Mexicans. He was raised on a mission and saw the suffering of his people, first hand. He led a gang of Yokuts who raided the settlements and ranches of the Mexicans. The Mexican government sent soldiers to suppress the revolt but Estanislao could not be apprehended. There were in total four campaigns to crush the revolt of Estanislao. During his raids the rebel leader would carve his initials into pieces of wood, to show the attack was his work, which is reminiscent of Zorro. Eventually , the Mexicans wore him down and Estanislao eventually sought the pardon of the governor. Later he He became a teacher and later died in an epidemic. [[File: Zorro four.jpg|200px|thumb|left| A Spanish mission in Baja, California]]

The character of Zorro is a much-loved fictional figure. He His character has been very influential in popular culture. Undoubtedly many of the characteristics of the hero were created by the author. He was partly inspired by previous works and figures such as Robin Hood. However, there is a great deal of evidence that shows that Zorro was based on at least one historical figure. McCulley was familiar with the story of Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo and in many ways this character can be considered to be the chief source of the character of the original caped hero. Murrieta Carrillo was probably the main model for the character of Zorro. However, McCulley was almost certainly inspired by other bandits and rebels from a turbulent period in Californian history.

Reichstein, A. (1998). "Batman—An American Mr. Hyde?. " Amerikastudien/American Studies, 329-350.

Black, Stephanie R., and Robert A. Weinstein. "The case for face masks—Zorro or zero?." Clinical Infectious Diseases 31, no. 2 (2000)<references/> {{Category: 522-523.Wikis}} {{Category:Historically Accurate}} {{Category:United States History}} {{Category:Mexican History}}