Dreams of El Dorado A History of the American West
Dreams of El Dorado: A History of the American West by H. W. Brands, published by Basic Books on October 20, 2020, offers a comprehensive narrative of the American West’s settlement. Spanning from the early 19th century with Lewis and Clark’s expedition to the closing of the frontier in the early 20th century, this 544-page book introduces readers to a diverse cast of figures, including explorers, cowboys, and soldiers. Brands delves into the complexities of the West, challenging traditional myths and highlighting the region’s reliance on collective efforts and federal support.
In this edition, readers will encounter a detailed exploration of significant events such as the Texas Revolution, the California gold rush, and the Oklahoma land rush. Brands examines the dual nature of the West, showcasing both acts of heroism and instances of violence. The narrative emphasizes the allure of wealth that drew many to the West, while also revealing the elusive nature of the dreams that motivated them. This historical account provides insights into the lives of adventurers and the Indigenous peoples of North America, making it a significant contribution to the understanding of 19th-century American history.
Official synopsis Publisher
In Dreams of El Dorado, H. W. Brands tells the thrilling, panoramic story of the settling of the American West, from Lewis and Clark’s expedition in the early 19th century to the closing of the frontier by the early 20th. He introduces us to explorers, mountain men, cowboys, missionaries and soldiers, taking us from John Jacob Astor’s fur trading campaign in Oregon to the Texas Revolution, from the California gold rush to the Oklahoma land rush. Throughout, Brands explores the contradictions of the West and explodes its longstanding myths. The West has been celebrated as the proving ground of American individualism; in reality, the West depended on collective action and federal largesse more than any other region. The West brought out the finest and the basest in those who ventured there, evoking both selfless heroism and unspeakable violence. Visons of great wealth drew generations of Americans westward, but El Dorado was never more elusive than in the West.
Balanced, authoritative, and masterfully told, Dreams of El Dorado sets a new standard for histories of the American West.
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