Encyclopedia of the Great PlainsDavid J. Wishart The Encyclopedia of the Great Plains is a cooperative project of the Center for Great Plains Studies and the University of Nebraska Press, with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University of Nebraska Foundation, and the Nebraska Humanities Council. The Great Plains is a vast expanse of grasslands stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the Missouri River and from the Rio Grande to the coniferous forests of Canada--an area more than eighteen hundred miles from north to south and more than five hundred miles from east to west. The Great Plains region includes all or parts of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The region, once labeled ?the Great American Desert,? is now more often called the ?heartland,? or, sometimes, ?the breadbasket of the world.? Its immense distances, flowing grasslands, sparse population, enveloping horizons, and dominating sky convey a sense of expansiveness, even emptiness or loneliness, a reaction to too much space and one's own meager presence in it. The Plains region is the home of the Dust Bowl, the massacre at Wounded Knee, the North-West Rebellion, the Tulsa race riot, the Lincoln County War, the purported Roswell alien landing, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. From it have emerged furs, cattle, corn, wheat, oil, gas, and coal, as well as jazz, literature, and political reform. It has been inhabited for more than twelve thousand years, since Paleo-Indians hunted mammoth and bison. More recent emigrants came from eastern North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, resulting in a complex and distinctive ethnic mosaic. With 1,316 entries contributed by more than one thousand scholars, this groundbreaking reference work captures what is vital and interesting about the Great Plains--from its temperamental climate to its images and icons, its historical character, its folklore, and its politics. Thoroughly illustrated, annotated, and indexed, this remarkable compendium of information and analysis will prove the definitive and indispensable resource on the Great Plains for many years to come. Listen to an interview with David J. Wishart from Nebraska Public Radio |
Contents
Project Staff | vii |
Acknowledgments | ix |
Using the Encyclopedia | xi |
The Great Plains Region | xiii |
African Americans | 1 |
Agriculture | 25 |
Architecture | 59 |
Art | 103 |
Law | 439 |
Literary Traditions | 467 |
Media | 499 |
Music | 527 |
Native Americans | 553 |
Physical Environment | 611 |
Politics and Government | 645 |
Protest and Dissent | 697 |
Asian Americans | 133 |
Cities and Towns | 149 |
Education | 191 |
European Americans | 217 |
Film | 253 |
Folkways | 283 |
Gender | 317 |
Hispanic Americans | 343 |
Images and Icons | 371 |
Industry | 401 |
Religion | 729 |
Sports and Recreation | 761 |
Transportation | 791 |
War | 813 |
Water | 841 |
Index of Contributors | 867 |
873 | |
915 | |
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Common terms and phrases
acres African American agricultural Alberta Ameri architecture areas artists became buildings Calgary Canada Canadian Prairies cattle central Chinese churches College Colorado communities Company construction County cowboy crops cultural dance Denver Dust Bowl early eastern economic established ethnic European American Exodusters farm farmers federal film frontier German grain groups homestead immigrants industry Japanese John Kansas City land landscape Lincoln located major Manitoba ment Mexico migration Missouri Montana movie Museum Native American North Dakota Northern Great Plains Northern Plains Oklahoma Omaha paintings percent Plains Indian plants population Prairie Provinces production railroad ranch region River role rural Saskatchewan schools settlement settlers social South Southern stories style Territory Texas tion tipi towns trade traditional Tulsa ture twentieth century United University of Nebraska University of Nebraska-Lincoln University Press urban West western wheat Wichita Winnipeg women World Wyoming York
References to this book
Indian Wars of Mexico, Canada and the United States, 1812-1900 Bruce Vandervort No preview available - 2006 |