Book
The plains across : the overland emigrants and the trans-Mississippi West, 1840-60 / John D. Unruh, Jr.
This volume presents a study of overland travel across the Great Plains of the United States prior to the Civil War. It covers mainly the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. The author provides excerpts from the traveler's journals and diaries, along with references from various newspapers throughout the country. He first introduces the political and social ramifications and the pros and cons of overland travel to Oregon and California. He then unravels the "why's" as to the emigrants' desire to pursue such an endeavor, risking loss of everything, including possibly life itself. Readers get a feel for how the "overlanders" got along with each other; their relations with Indians; the battles of overcoming hunger, thirst, cold, etc. The author also mention of private entrepreneurs along the trail who were trading and selling goods at exorbitant prices; the "white Indians" who were white men masqueraded as Indians taking advantage of the emigrants; the Mormon influence throughout the Salt Lake area, along with the "Winter Mormons" who were average non-Mormon emigrants wishing to overwinter in Salt Lake but subjected to cruel and unjust treatments. The author describes the federal government's role in Westward emigration by improving roads, establishing forts along the way and implementing troops to guide and protect the overlanders to safety.
Record details
- ISBN: 0252006984
- ISBN: 9780252006982
- Physical Description: xviii, 565 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm
- Publisher: Urbana : University of Illinois Press, ©1979.
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 521-554) and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Introduction: The historians and the Overlanders -- Public opinion, 1840-48 : "Palpable homicide" or "Merry as a marriage bell"? -- Public opinion, 1849-60 : humbugging and helping -- Motivations and beginnings : "Life is at a fair" -- Emigrant interaction : "Our journey has not been as solitary as we feared" -- Emigrant-Indian interaction : from "mutual aid" to "massacres" -- The federal government : "Good fellow Uncle Sam is" -- Private entrepreneurs, 1840-49 : "While others are chasing wealth they are catching it, no dream" -- Private entrepreneurs, 1950-60 : "Too many cooks spoil the broth" -- The Mormon "halfway house" : "It costs nothing to get in, but a great deal to get out" -- West Coast assistance : "Are you men from California, or do you come from heaven?" -- The Overlanders in historical perspective : "To endure heat like a salamander ... and labor like a jackass."
- Awards Note:
- American Historical Association John H. Dunning Prize for U.S. history, 1980.National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Western Heritage Award for nonfiction, 1980.
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Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Northwest Indian College.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lummi Library | F 593 .U67 1979 | 288072 | Stacks | Reshelving | - |
Electronic resources
Version of Resource: http://www.gbv.de/dms/bowker/toc/9780252006982.pdf
- Table of contents
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| 100 | 1 | . | ‡aUnruh, John David, ‡d1937-1976. |
| 245 | 1 | 4. | ‡aThe plains across : ‡bthe overland emigrants and the trans-Mississippi West, 1840-60 / ‡cJohn D. Unruh, Jr. |
| 260 | . | ‡aUrbana : ‡bUniversity of Illinois Press, ‡c©1979. | |
| 300 | . | ‡axviii, 565 pages : ‡billustrations ; ‡c26 cm | |
| 336 | . | ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent | |
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| 504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 521-554) and index. | |
| 505 | 0 | . | ‡aIntroduction: The historians and the Overlanders -- Public opinion, 1840-48 : "Palpable homicide" or "Merry as a marriage bell"? -- Public opinion, 1849-60 : humbugging and helping -- Motivations and beginnings : "Life is at a fair" -- Emigrant interaction : "Our journey has not been as solitary as we feared" -- Emigrant-Indian interaction : from "mutual aid" to "massacres" -- The federal government : "Good fellow Uncle Sam is" -- Private entrepreneurs, 1840-49 : "While others are chasing wealth they are catching it, no dream" -- Private entrepreneurs, 1950-60 : "Too many cooks spoil the broth" -- The Mormon "halfway house" : "It costs nothing to get in, but a great deal to get out" -- West Coast assistance : "Are you men from California, or do you come from heaven?" -- The Overlanders in historical perspective : "To endure heat like a salamander ... and labor like a jackass." |
| 520 | . | ‡aThis volume presents a study of overland travel across the Great Plains of the United States prior to the Civil War. It covers mainly the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. The author provides excerpts from the traveler's journals and diaries, along with references from various newspapers throughout the country. He first introduces the political and social ramifications and the pros and cons of overland travel to Oregon and California. He then unravels the "why's" as to the emigrants' desire to pursue such an endeavor, risking loss of everything, including possibly life itself. Readers get a feel for how the "overlanders" got along with each other; their relations with Indians; the battles of overcoming hunger, thirst, cold, etc. The author also mention of private entrepreneurs along the trail who were trading and selling goods at exorbitant prices; the "white Indians" who were white men masqueraded as Indians taking advantage of the emigrants; the Mormon influence throughout the Salt Lake area, along with the "Winter Mormons" who were average non-Mormon emigrants wishing to overwinter in Salt Lake but subjected to cruel and unjust treatments. The author describes the federal government's role in Westward emigration by improving roads, establishing forts along the way and implementing troops to guide and protect the overlanders to safety. | |
| 586 | . | ‡aAmerican Historical Association John H. Dunning Prize for U.S. history, 1980. | |
| 586 | . | ‡aNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Western Heritage Award for nonfiction, 1980. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aOverland journeys to the Pacific. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aFrontier and pioneer life ‡zWest (U.S.) | |
| 651 | 0. | ‡aWest (U.S.) ‡xHistory ‡y1848-1860. | |
| 651 | 0. | ‡aWest (U.S.) ‡xHistory ‡yTo 1848. | |
| 776 | 0 | 8. | ‡iOnline version: ‡aUnruh, John David, 1937-1976. ‡tPlains across. ‡dUrbana : University of Illinois Press, ©1979 ‡w(OCoLC)560454901 |
| 776 | 0 | 8. | ‡iOnline version: ‡aUnruh, John David, 1937-1976. ‡tPlains across. ‡dUrbana : University of Illinois Press, ©1979 ‡w(OCoLC)607815708 |
| 856 | 4 | 1. | ‡3Table of contents ‡uhttp://www.gbv.de/dms/bowker/toc/9780252006982.pdf |
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