American Western History

The Open Range cattle era lasted barely a quarter-century, but it left America irrevocably changed. These few decades following the Civil War brought America its greatest boom-and-bust cycle until the Depression, the invention of the assembly line, and the dawn of the conservation movement. It inspired legends, such as that icon of rugged individualism, the cowboy. Yet this extraordinary time and its import have remained unexamined for decades. Cattle Kingdom reveals the truth of how the West rose and fell, and how its legacy defines us today.

In Continental Reckoning renowned historian Elliott West presents a sweeping narrative of the American West and its vital role in the transformation of the nation. In the 1840s, by which time the United States had expanded to the Pacific, what would become the West was home to numerous vibrant Native cultures and vague claims by other nations.

With the end of the Civil War, the nation recommenced its expansion onto traditional Indian tribal lands, setting off a wide-ranging conflict that would last more than three decades. In an exploration of the wars and negotiations that destroyed tribal ways of life even as they made possible the emergence of the modern United States, Peter Cozzens gives us both sides in comprehensive and singularly intimate detail.

Do you like true stories of the Wild West? You should love these tales of outlaws and gunslingers then Of course you will have heard of most of them as many have become infamous legends. Some are not so quite well known however, but they were all dangerous and ruthless criminals and all had their "15 minutes of fame", leaving trails of death and mayhem behind them. Most did not live to an old age, and those that did were probably in jail. Their escapades were daring and reckless and many paid the ultimate price in the end. These tales romp along with plenty of action and recreate the ...

Introducing "American History: The Legends that Shaped the USA" a riveting exploration of the rich and fascinating early history of the United States. This book takes you on a journey through the remarkable stories of American legends, from the birth of the country, through Westward expansion, wars, and political scandals. It delves into the lives of heroes, leaders, and presidents who played pivotal roles in shaping America's history, making it the great country it is today. Are you interested in exploring the rich and fascinating early history of the United States? This book takes you on ...

Step back in time and immerse yourself in the rugged landscapes, daring outlaws, fearless lawmen, and untamed frontier spirit that defined an era. Introducing The Greatest Stories of The Old West Ever Told – a captivating journey into the heart of the Wild West's most legendary tales! This book is a treasure trove of the Old West's most thrilling narratives, expertly curated to bring you the very best of this iconic period in American history. You'll meet legendary figures like: George Custer, the proud and overconfident Colonel and Civil War hero who led his army into a slaughter at the ...

A collection of stories capturing what it means to be a cowboy.

Published in 2000 to critical acclaim, The American West: A New Interpretive History quickly became the standard in college history courses. Now Robert V. Hine and John Mack Faragher offer a concise edition of their classic, freshly updated. Lauded for their lively and elegant writing, the authors provide a grand survey of the colorful history of the American West, from the first contacts between Native Americans and Europeans to the beginning of the 21st century.

In the summer of 1846, the Army of the West marched through Santa Fe, en route to invade and occupy the Western territories claimed by Mexico. Fueled by the new ideology of “Manifest Destiny,” this land grab would lead to a decades-long battle between the United States and the Navajos, the fiercely resistant rulers of a huge swath of mountainous desert wilderness.

Weird but True Stories from the American Old West: Strange and Bizarre Tales from the Frontier, 1865–1895 is a thrilling journey through the most unusual, mysterious, and downright bizarre real-life stories to come out of the Wild West. From haunted saloon pianos and vanishing mining towns to storm-riding cowboys and a decapitated outlaw whose ghost still roams the gallows, this captivating collection brings to life the stranger side of frontier history. Every chapter reveals a unique tale rooted in actual accounts, period newspapers, or enduring local legends—all set west of the ...

"Russian influence" may have entered our national pop-consciousness in Election 2016, but it is the shiny, deceptive, contested, and buried X-factor of a century of wars in Washington. In American Betrayal, Diana West digs deep to uncover a body of lies that Americans have been led to regard as the near-sacred history of World War II and its Cold War aftermath. Part real-life thriller, part national tragedy, American Betrayal lights up the massive, Moscow-directed penetration of America's most hallowed halls of power.

A collection of stories from the most famous Western author of all time! Desert Death-Song is a compilation of some of Louis L’Amour’s greatest stories, many of which might otherwise be difficult to find. Whether he was writing under his early pen name, Jim Mayo, or his own, L’Amour’s stories are unforgettable, touching on rough and rugged American ideals, and set in the untamable frontier of the Western United States.

"I was present at the Frog Lake Massacre and escaped by the slim margin of one hundred paces the fate that overtook my hapless fellows. For months afterward the unexpected report of a gun put my heart in my mouth, painted savages plunged in my dreams at early dawn through belts of dark firs upon my flying footsteps, bullets sang in my ears or found their mark in my flesh, and I awoke gasping and unable in the first few seconds of consciousness to convince myself that it was not all a horrible reality. Looking back on that now distant date and thinking over the flow of perilous turns in ...

Do you like true stories of the Wild West? You should love these tales of outlaws, gunslingers and adventurers then. Of course you will have heard of most of them as many have become legends. Their escapades were exciting, daring and reckless and many paid the ultimate price in the end. These tales romp along with plenty of action and recreate the atmosphere of this exciting and dangerous era in America's history using the vernacular of the times. PLEASE NOTE - Whilst the events that took place are primarily true, (as far as we know), the author has used a certain amount of creative license...

Now everyone will know the truth. Without the Irish, the American frontier may never have been tamed.Here is the full story of the Irish immigrants and their decedents, whose hard work helped make the West what it is today. A fascinating and entertaining look at the history of the American West, this book will surprise many and make every Irish American proud.

This riveting story takes place during the Battle of the Hundred in the Hand, otherwise known as the Fetterman Massacre of 1866. The story is told alternately through the eyes of Cloud, a dedicated Lakota warrior who fights alongside a young Crazy Horse, and Max Hornsby, a white pioneer who mistakes Cloud's redheaded wife for a captive.

In June 1846, General Stephen Watts Kearny rode out of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with two thousand soldiers, bound for California. At the time, the nation was hell-bent on expansion: James K. Polk had lately won the presidency by threatening England over the borders in Oregon, while Congress had just voted to annex Texas. After Mexico declared war on the United States, Kearny’s Army of the West was sent out, carrying orders to occupy Mexican territory. Winston Groom recounts the amazing adventure and danger that Kearny and his troops encountered on the trail.

This newest volume in Oxford's acclaimed Pivotal Moments series offers an unforgettable portrait of the Nez Perce War of 1877, the last great Indian conflict in American history. It was, as Elliott West shows, a tale of courage and ingenuity, of desperate struggle and shattered hope, of short-sighted government action and a doomed flight to freedom.

Do you like true stories of the Wild West? You should love these tales of outlaws, gunslingers and adventurers then. You may not have heard much about some of these bad guys, but they were real, ruthless outlaws and all had their "15 minutes of fame", leaving trails of death and mayhem behind them. Most did not live to an old age, on average just 35 years old, and those that did survive longer were probably in jail. These tales romp along with plenty of action and recreate the atmosphere of this exciting and dangerous era in America's history using the vernacular of the times. Whilst the ...

The American West was never just a man’s world. In The Forgotten Frontier, bestselling author Richard Fleischman uncovers the extraordinary lives of women who braved the harsh realities of the 19th-century American frontier. Through vivid, deeply researched storytelling, this powerful volume gives voice to the women who crossed mountains, deserts, and boundaries—both physical and social. From midwives who delivered babies on dirt floors to widows who defended their homes with rifles in hand, these women lived at the intersection of grit, grief, resilience, and resolve. Some followed ...