Westward Expansion

As men and women traveled west to settle America's untamed lands, and tried to strike it rich in gold, they led a simple existence, often carrying the barest necessities from one location to another. Yet they also carried with them their own popular culture, through folk songs, legends, and literature, that has often been mythologized into our present American popular culture. Through primary sources such as letters, diaries, and photographs, the author draws parallels and makes distinctions between the pioneers and cowboys of the past and those of today. Students and fans of the Old West will find this volume a rich source of history for this time period.

Many images and items in today's popular culture were born in the time of westward expansion. Log cabins, cowboys such as the Marlboro Man and Woody of I Toy Story R fame, and Levi's jeans, all have their roots in the Old West. Outlaws such as Wild Bill Hikock, Billy the Kid, and Jesse James, and good guys such as Davy Crockett, continue to fascinate students and western enthusiasts. Traveling entertainments, mail-order houses, and patent medicines, although no longer popular in today's society, tell us much about the nomadic existence of families during this time. With a timeline and a list of everyday products and their prices during the time period, this volume will be an invaluable resource to students and historians tracing the roots of American popular culture.

Author: Sara Quay
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 06/30/2002
Pages: 328
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.38lbs
Size: 9.34h x 6.46w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780313312359

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 10/15/2002 pg. 445
Voice of Youth Advocates 02/01/2003 pg. 505
School Library Journal 02/01/2003 pg. 92
American Reference Bks Annual 01/01/2003 pg. 530

About the Author

SARA E. QUAY is Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences at Endicott College.