Josefa segovia biography

American lynching victim

Josefa Segovia, also known as Juanita or Josefa Loaiza, was a Mexican-American woman who was executed by hanging in Downieville, California, on July 5, 1851.^[1] She was found guilty of murdering a local miner, Frederick Cannon. She is known to be the first and only woman to be hanged in California.^[2]

Early life and controversy about her name

Not much is known about the early life of Josefa Segovia.

The date of her birth is unknown.^[3] Josefa's actual name has been a topic of debate among historians and scholars. Before the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, most scholars stated that Josefa had no recorded last name. In Gordon Young's Days of 49, he says that her name was "Juanita".^[4] Hubert Bancroft, in his account of the events^[5] at Downieville, refers to Segovia as either "The Mexican" or "the little woman" but used "Juanita" during his description of her trial.^[6] Hi Heroes, Heroines, and History: Josefa Segovia - Pretty Juanita XUBYC