Articles on pre-Revolutionary American Indian and frontier Western culture
Articles on pre-Revolutionary American Indian and frontier Western culture
American West The Old West, also called the Wild West or American West, region, which is mostly west of the Great Plains, is linked in popular imagination with the last frontier of American settlement. A century-long blood feud between two Cherokee chiefs shaped the history of the Cherokee tribe far…
On October 5, 1877, Chief Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it, also known as Chief Joseph, rode on his horse to the foot of a bluff at Bears Paw Mountains in northern Montana, approximately 40 miles from the Canadian border. If he had made it to Canada, he and the Nez Perce people would be…
The transcontinental railroad in the latter half of the nineteenth century was typically built with substantial infusions of federal, state, and local government aid. This aid took two forms: loans and land grants. The railroads sold the land to settlers for cash. In the process, they also created a market…
The Old West, also called the Wild West or American West, region, which is mostly west of the Great Plains, is linked in popular imagination with the last frontier of American settlement. How a Rivalry Between Two Cherokee Chiefs Led to the Trail of Tears and the Collapse of Their…
American West Timeline This America West Timeline lists the critical years of the Western American territory's discovery, colonization, and settlement. Date Summary Event 6th April 1830 Mormons founded Joseph Smith founded the Mormon religion. Smith claimed that, after seeing a vision of an angel called Moroni, he discovered some…
A century-long blood feud between two Cherokee chiefs shaped the history of the Cherokee tribe far more than anyone, even the reviled President Andrew Jackson. They were John Ross and the Ridge. Today I'm talking with John Sedgwick about the fall of the Cherokee Nation due to the clash of…
Quackery refers to unproven or fraudulent medical practices, often through the sale or application of "quack medicines". The word "quack" derives from the archaic Dutch word "quacksalver," meaning "boaster who applies a salve." A closely associated German word, "Quacksalber," means "questionable salesperson ." In the Middle Ages the word quack…
Manifest Destiny refers to the attitude in America during the 1800's when pioneers settled the country and believed that the U.S. was destined to stretch across the whole continent, from the one coast to the other. The phrase was used by politicians at the time and first published in an…
Most Americans are familiar with the magic of Thanksgiving. A holiday associated with family reunions, football, Black Friday sales, turkeys, pumpkin pies, pilgrims, and Indians. However, not many are aware of its somewhat grimmer origins. Typically, what we are taught in school is an idealized historical account of what actually…
The Oregon Trail (also known as the Oregon-California trial) was a 2,200 mile route stretching from Missouri to Oregon that was traveled by the early Wild West pioneers in the 1800s. The trail was the only way for settlers to reach the West Coast via land and over 500,000 have…
