The westerners : mythmaking and belonging on the American frontier / Megan Kate Nelson.
"The Westerners tells two richly detailed and interwoven stories. The first reveals the captivating lives of women and men moving through the American West -- Indigenous peoples, Black Americans, Mexican Americans, and Canadian and Asian immigrants -- in the 19th century. The second tracks the attempts of many Americans to erase these westerners from history, through a frontier myth that lionized individualism and conquest and celebrated white settlers traveling west in search of prosperity. Nelson's vivid, eye-opening account centers on seven extraordinary individuals whose lives capture the true history of the frontier: Sacajawea, not just Lewis and Clark's guide but an explorer who forged her own path; Jim Beckwourth, a biracial fur trader whose sharp cultural insight made him indispensable; MarÃa Gertrudis Barceló, a Hispana gambling saloon owner who broke every stereotype to become the wealthiest woman in Santa Fe; Ovando Hollister, a gold miner, soldier, and newspaper man who championed Western expansion; Little Wolf, a Northern Cheyenne chief whose courageous leadership secured his people's future; Canadian immigrant Ella Watson, who strove to become a ranch woman in a male-dominated world; and the defiant Polly Bemis, a Chinese immigrant who carved out a life in Idaho despite federal expulsion efforts." -- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781668004340
- ISBN: 1668004348
- Physical Description: xxiii, 439 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (black & white), maps ; 24 cm
- Edition: First Scribner hardcover edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC, [2026]
- Copyright: ©2026
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 341-419) and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Prologue -- Curiosity in motion -- The bringers of change -- A good time to be in the pick and shovel business -- Violence pushed to its limits -- It will bind them together and tear us apart -- Survival is a presence and an absence -- Epilogue
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Immigrants > United States > History > 19th century.
United States > Emigration and immigration > History > 19th century.
West (U.S.) > History. - Genre:
- Informational works.
Biographies.
Available copies
- 10 of 22 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 0 of 1 copy available at Brown Library System.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 22 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George H. & Laura E. Brown Library | 978.02 Nel (Text) | 30308101376987 | Adult New Nonfiction | Checked out | 08/25/2026 |
