Timeless Stories of the West: Mountaineers, Miners, and Indians

The nineteenth century in American history was the era of the Old West and westward expansion. Mountain men braved unknown dangers and unimaginable hardships in the frontier and brought back word of its many wonders. When the news was spread about the discovery of gold and other precious metals, as well as the abundance of game prized by fur trappers, thousands from every walk of life scampered west. As the wagon trains, stagecoaches, Pony Express, telegraph, and railroads populated and overran the coveted West, American Indians (the country’s indigenous inhabitants), were decimated, massacred, and forced onto reservations–to the white man’s drumbeat and war cry of Manifest Destiny. Today, these timeless stories of America’s Wild West continue to be educational, entertaining, and inspirational. Numerous photographs, additional illustrations, bibliographies, and an index to full names and places enhance the value of this work.