People of the American Frontier: The Coming of the American Revolution

Life on the American frontier in the decades before the Revolution was extremely difficult and uncertain. While the possibility of new territory in the West cleared the way for economic expansion, those who forged into the frontier faced long and arduous struggles. Farmers worked endlessly to clear a few scant acres for production. Traders struggled to reach remote areas to bargain with local tribes. Merchants weighted the possibilities for enormous profit with huge risk. Native Americans faced increasing encroachment upon their traditional lands. Women, slaves, and indentured servants played a greater role in opening the frontier than many sources have indicated. Each of these groups depended on the others in some way, and collectively they formed the patchwork that was life on the frontier. At the same time, the existence of the frontier exerted a dominant influence on the colonial economy. Using a wealth of material from primary sources, Dunn paints a vivid picture of a world caught up in the winds of change, a world poised on the edge of revolution. Using a wealth of material from primary sources, People of the American Frontier paints a vivid picture of life on the American frontier in the fifteen years preceding the Revolution.