The American West: A New Interpretive History

627 Pages·2000·10.022 MB·English

by  Robert V. Hine, John Mack Faragher

The American West

West
The American
a n e w i n t e r p r e t i v e h i s t o r y
Robert V. Hine & John Mack Faragher
yale university press New Haven & London
Published with assistance from the foundation Library ofCongress
established in memory ofPhilip Hamilton Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McMillan ofthe Class of1894,Yale College. Hine,Robert V.,1921–
The American West : a new interpretive
Copyright © 2000by Yale University.
history / Robert V.Hine & John Mack Faragher.
All rights reserved.
p. cm.
This book may not be reproduced,in whole
Includes bibliographical references and index.
or in part,including illustrations,in any form
isbn 0-300-07833-1 (cloth:alk.paper).—
(beyond that copying permitted by Sections
isbn 0-300-07835-8 (pbk.:alk.paper)
107and108ofthe U.S.Copyright Law and
1. West (U.S.)—History. 2. Frontier and
except by reviewers for the public press),
pioneer life—West (U.S.) I. Faragher,John
without written permission from the
Mack,1945– . II. Title.
publishers.
f591.h662 2000
978–dc21 99-43653
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rls
—

Contents
Preface,ix
Introduction:Dreams and Homelands,1
Chapter One:A New World Begins,12
Chapter Two:Contest ofCultures,39
Chapter Three:The Struggle ofEmpires,71
Chapter Four:The Land and Its Markers,100
Chapter Five:The Fur Trade,133
Chapter Six:From Texas to Oregon,159
Chapter Seven:War and Destiny,199
Chapter Eight:Mining Frontiers,234
Chapter Nine:The Power ofthe Road,274
Chapter Ten:Open Range,301
Chapter Eleven:The Safety Valve,330
Chapter Twelve:A Search for Community,362
Chapter Thirteen:The Urban Frontier,401
Chapter Fourteen:Plunder and Preservation,434
Chapter Fifteen:Myth ofthe West,472
Chapter Sixteen:The Frontier and West in Our Time,512
Notes,563
Index,591
vii

Preface
In alighting out for the West (that’s the way Huck Finn put it) we intend to interpret
the story ofthe American frontier with little pretense ofbeing comprehensive or com-
pletely objective. Instead we face with wonder the deep contradictions in our history
and try to make sense of them.The explosion of new and provocative scholarship
since the last revision ofthis book has given us much to consider and much to incor-
porate.Long ago the two ofus discovered our congruous mindsets,so readers will
find no dramatic interpretive departures from previous editions.But there is sub-
stantial new material with a steadier emphasis on Native Americans,the role ofeth-
nicity,environmental issues,and the participation ofwomen in the events ofwestern
history.There are many more voices,speaking directly from their own experience.
There are new illustrations and maps.There are notes to guide readers to the sources
ofquoted material,and lists ofsuggested readings at the end ofeach chapter.The task
ofrevision has fallen mainly on the shoulders ofJohn Mack Faragher,who used the
old edition as the anvil on which to hammer out a new work from beginning to end.
This book is illustrated with twenty-three maps and 233historic illustrations,all
of them contemporaneous with the period under discussion.Many of the images
come from the Collection ofWestern Americana,Beinecke Rare Book and Manu-
script Library ofYale University,which for brevity is simply listed in the captions as
“Beinecke.”
Many friends and colleagues contributed ideas and support.At the Riverside and
Irvine campuses ofthe University ofCalifornia:Carlos E.Cortes,Edwin Scott Gau-
stad,Irving G.Hendrick,Spencer C.Olin,and Henry C.Meyer.At Mount Holyoke
College:Daniel Czitrom and Joseph J.Ellis.At Yale University:Nancy Cott,Robert
Johnston,Howard R.Lamar,Steven B.Stoll,and Robin Winks.In the wider histori-
cal world we are indebted to:Kathryn Abbott,Robert Berkhofer,Edwin R.Bingham,
Alan Bogue,Elizabeth Fenn,Greg Hise,Paul W.Hirt,Wilbur Jacobs,Elizabeth Jame-
son,Earl Pomeroy,Rodman Paul,Ruth Sutter,and Elliott West.Over the years the
essays and theses ofour undergraduate students inspired us and supplied important
historical details.
ix