The American West: The ReaderWalter Nugent, Martin Ridge The American West has generated exceptional attention in the past few years, and new scholarship and interpretations have enriched and enlivened the study of its history. Each of the seventeen exciting and provocative essays chosen for this book illuminates an important topic in Western history. Three opening essays by the editors define the West as frontier and region, and place American frontiers in comparative context. Then follow essays that consider women's property rights in Spanish-Mexican California; the mountain men and national identity; Indians and bison on the Great Plains in the early nineteenth century; the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848; the Latter-day Saints from 1830 to 1890; the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 as a case of Indian-white conflict; cowboys as wage workers in the 1880s; homesteading and the homesteading ideal; miners and ethnic conflict in early-twentieth-century Arizona; the Great Depression in Idaho; how World War II changed Los Angeles; Japanese-American women in World War II; African Americans in the West; and the Pacific Northwest since 1945. The editors also provide a general introduction to the study of Western history and a time line of important events. |
Contents
General Introduction I | 1 |
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A PLACE? WHAT IS IT? WHERE IS | 11 |
From Frontier to Region | 24 |
Frontiers and Empires in the Late Nineteenth Century | 39 |
THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY | 57 |
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY | 81 |
INDIANS ANIMALS AND THE GREAT PLAINS 18001850 | 97 |
THE MEXICANAMERICAN WAR 18461848 | 120 |
COWBOYS AS WAGE WORKERS 1880s | 164 |
HOMESTEADING 1880S1930s | 179 |
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY | 201 |
THE GREAT DEPRESSION IN THE NORTHWEST 19291941 | 225 |
WORLD WAR II AND THE METROPOLIS 19411945 | 234 |
JAPANESEAMERICAN WOMEN AND THE INTERNMENT OF 19421945 | 255 |
AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE WEST 15411993 | 274 |
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SINCE 1945 | 295 |
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African American agricultural aircraft Allen Ameri American history American West Angeles Anglo April Arizona began bison Bushnell California camp cattle Census Cheyennes Chivington cities city's Clifton-Morenci Colonel Chivington Colorado Comanches County cowboys culture Dakota Farmer Denver early economic editors European farm federal Fort Lyon Frederick Jackson Turner frontier growth herds Hispanic historians horse Ibid Idaho immigrant Indian industry James Japanese Americans Journal July Kansas Kiowas labor land lives Los Angeles major ment Mexican American Mexico Miami migration military million Miners mining Morenci Mormon nineteenth century Nisei North Oregon organizing Pacific Papers Paredes percent political population Portland ranch ranchers region Report River Rocky Mountain Sand Creek Seattle Seattle's social Society South South Dakota Southern Plains Spanish strike territory Texas tion trade tribes Turner Union United University urban Utah Washington western William women workers World wrote Wynkoop York