The plains across : the overland emigrants and the trans-Mississippi West, 1840-60 /

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 t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Unruh, John David, 1937-1976.
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Urbana : University of Illinois Press, ©1979.
Subjects and Genres:
Online Access:Table of contents
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
LEADER 06174cam a2200853 i 4500
001 marc-ocm03915537
005 20231017190804.0
008 780503s1979 ilua b 001 0 eng
010 |a  78009781  
015 |a GB8008056  |2 bnb 
016 7 |a 008-04938  |2 uk 
019 |a 59787180  |a 232126739  |a 1005172661  |a 1020239223 
020 |a 0252006984  |q (hardcover) 
020 |a 9780252006982  |q (hardcover) 
035 |a (franklin)9978882096603681 
035 |a (hsp)marc-ocm03915537 
035 |a (OCoLC)3915537  |z (OCoLC)59787180  |z (OCoLC)232126739  |z (OCoLC)1005172661  |z (OCoLC)1020239223 
040 |a DLC  |b eng  |c DLC  |d UV$  |d BTCTA  |d LVB  |d OCLCG  |d YDXCP  |d UKV3G  |d GV9  |d MUO  |d DEBBG  |d GBVCP  |d OCLCO  |d OCLCF  |d CUK  |d MUO  |d OCLCQ  |d FHL  |d OCLCO  |d OCLCQ  |d KKX  |d OCLCO  |d MFM  |d BRL  |d OCLCA  |d UKUOY  |d OCLCQ  |d OCL  |d OCLCQ  |d OCLCO  |d AGL  |d OCLCO 
043 |a n-usp-- 
049 |a PAUU 
050 0 0 |a F593  |b .U67 1979 
070 |a F593.U67 
082 0 0 |a 978 
084 |a HD 475  |2 rvk 
084 |a 15.87  |2 bcl 
088 |a 78009781 
096 |a F593  |b .U67 1979 
100 1 |a Unruh, John David,  |d 1937-1976. 
245 1 4 |a The plains across :  |b the overland emigrants and the trans-Mississippi West, 1840-60 /  |c John D. Unruh, Jr. 
260 |a Urbana :  |b University of Illinois Press,  |c ©1979. 
300 |a xviii, 565 pages :  |b illustrations ;  |c 26 cm 
336 |a text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent 
337 |a unmediated  |b n  |2 rdamedia 
338 |a volume  |b nc  |2 rdacarrier 
504 |a Includes bibliographical references (pages 521-554) and index. 
505 0 |a 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." 
520 |a 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. 
541 0 |c Purchase;  |a Estate of Larry Baume;  |d 1-14-2021 
586 |a American Historical Association John H. Dunning Prize for U.S. history, 1980. 
586 |a National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Western Heritage Award for nonfiction, 1980. 
650 0 |a Overland journeys to the Pacific. 
650 0 |a Frontier and pioneer life  |z West (U.S.) 
651 0 |a West (U.S.)  |x History  |y 1848-1860. 
651 0 |a West (U.S.)  |x History  |y To 1848. 
651 1 |a West (United States)  |x History  |y 1848-1860. 
651 1 |a West (United States)  |x History  |y To 1848. 
651 4 |a West, The  |x History  |y To 1848. 
651 4 |a West, The  |x History  |y 1848-1860. 
650 6 |a Voyages par terre jusqu'au Pacifique. 
650 6 |a Vie des pionniers  |z États-Unis (Ouest) 
651 6 |a États-Unis (Ouest)  |x Histoire  |y Jusqu'à 1848. 
651 6 |a États-Unis (Ouest)  |x Histoire  |y 1848-1860. 
650 7 |a Frontier and pioneer life.  |2 fast  |0 (OCoLC)fst00935370 
650 7 |a Overland journeys to the Pacific.  |2 fast  |0 (OCoLC)fst01049347 
651 7 |a West United States.  |2 fast  |0 (OCoLC)fst01243255 
648 7 |a To 1860  |2 fast 
650 7 |a Overland journeys to the Pacific.  |2 fssh 
650 7 |a Frontier and pioneer life  |x West (U.S.)  |2 fssh 
651 7 |a United States  |x History  |y 1783-1865.  |2 fssh 
651 7 |a United States  |x Migration, Internal.  |2 fssh 
650 7 |a Siedlung  |2 gnd 
651 7 |a USA  |x Weststaaten  |2 gnd 
653 0 |a Frontier and pioneer life  |a West (U.S.) 
653 0 |a Overland journeys to the Pacific 
653 0 |a West (U.S.)  |a History  |a 1848-1860 
653 0 |a West (U.S.)  |a History  |a To 1848 
655 7 |a History.  |2 fast  |0 (OCoLC)fst01411628 
776 0 8 |i Online version:  |a Unruh, John David, 1937-1976.  |t Plains across.  |d Urbana : University of Illinois Press, ©1979  |w (OCoLC)560454901 
776 0 8 |i Online version:  |a Unruh, John David, 1937-1976.  |t Plains across.  |d Urbana : University of Illinois Press, ©1979  |w (OCoLC)607815708 
852 0 0 |a Historical Society of Pennsylvania  |b Closed Stacks  |h F 593 .U67 1979  |t 1 
856 4 1 |3 Table of contents  |u http://www.gbv.de/dms/bowker/toc/9780252006982.pdf 
911 |a 290804 
HLD 0 |b HSPLib  |c hspclosed  |h F 593 .U67 1979  |8 22719354060003681 
ITM |r 22719354060003681  |b 1  |h 0  |g hspclosed  |e hspclosed  |8 23719354000003681  |a non-circ  |q 2022-08-08 15:00:13 US/Eastern  |i F 593 .U67 1979  |d HSPLib  |f HSPLib