Using the American West database available through Penrose Library, spend the next 15-20 minutes and explore the kinds of primary sources that are available within this database. Before the end of class, identify three sources that look interesting to you. Post their titles to our course blog and explain why they look interesting to you.
Before class on Monday, visit Penrose Library and find (at least) one book about the history of the American West that intrigues you. Check it out and bring it to class on Monday.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
True Life of Billy The Kid - John W. Lewis
ReplyDeleteBuffalo Bill's Wild West - Cody F. William
The cowboy:his characteristics, his equipment, and his part in the development of the West, by Philip Ashton Rollins.
Oklahoma Outlaws: Richard Graves
The Five Cent Wide Awake Library...Vol. I. New York, August 29, 1881...The True Life of Billy The Kid.
ReplyDeleteDietz Opera House, Oakland, One Night Only Wednesday, June 13th, 1877...the renowned historical celebrities, Buffalo Bill and Captain Jack (Hon. W. F. Cody.)
Life of Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak or Black Hawk ...Dictated by himself. J. B. Patterson, of Rock Island, Illinois, Editor and Proprietor. Cincinnati, 1833.
Life of J. C. Adams, known as Old Adams, Old Grizzly Adams...New York, 1860.
We felt these sources looked interesting because though they are names that are familiar to us, they would allow a better insight into these lives. The names may have come up in movies, or there may have been movies based on them, but this allows a true perception to be formed, allowing us to find out the people behind the names.
Autobiography, family history and various reminiscences of the life of Jonas Pettijohn, among the Sioux or Dakota Indians.
ReplyDeleteA copy of the evidence taken at Denver and Fort Lyon, Colorado Territory, by a Military Commission, ordered to inquire into the Sand Creek massacre, November, 1864.
The story of my capture and escape during the Minnesota Indian massacre of 1862... St. Paul: The Abbott Printing Company, 1904.*
I've always been intrigued by the various techniques people use to trigger hatred towards the native tribes that inhabited much wanted land. These sources have various perspectives as to how many Native American Massacres came to be and the ways they tried to portray it. Some as accidents and others as righteous retaliation.
• The cowboy : his characteristics, his equipment, and his part in the development of the West, by Philip Ashton Rollins.
ReplyDelete• Notes of a cowboy's diary...Lawrence, Kansas.
• Prose and poetry of the live stock industry of the United States. With outlines of the origin and ancient history of our live stock animals...Denver: published by the National Live Stock Historical Association.
The life of the cowboy and livestock are backbones of the American West. Simple day to day tasks like roping, wrestling, and branding cattle were necessary for the cowboy to maintain his land. These skills are an integral part of what it means to be a cowboy and are still valued today. Every year, Denver hosts the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo; the largest stock show in the world. In the stock show, these skills are highlighted and the history and legacy of the cowboy is kept alive. These sources focus on those skills and on the importance of live stock in the West.
The Ute War
ReplyDeleteThis source looks quite interesting to me because it tells the story of a specific Native American massacre and what impacts it had on Native Americans as well as the Americans.
The Cowboy
This source shows a detailed history of the cowboy, how he came to be, and what impacts he had on western society. The cowboy is a symbol for what is American and it is interesting to learn how this symbol came to be.
Recollections of the Mountain Meadow Massacre
Massacres such as these occurred numerous times during western expansion. I am interested in the rhetoric of how these stories portrayed the Native Americans as savages and Colonial Americans as heroes.
Regarding our next assignmenr on the American West, I am really interested in learning and discovering great adventures of indviduals, especially if I could find any information on any known female individuals. Searching the American West database through Penrose Library, I came upon Calamity Jane and a document that is actually her autobiography called "Life and adventures of Calamity Jane." Since I am not greatly familiar with her association to the West during this time, I am anxious to learn about her and her impact on the West during this time period.
ReplyDeleteBesides Calamity Jane, I came across the Lewis and Clark expedition which everyone is familiar with but I would like to study the two individuals more in depth in order to learn their motives behind the expedition. This particuar source I discovered deals with the expedition itself under the command of Lewis and Clark. "History of the expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clark" would be a great source to look into and find out more details about their journey.
Lastly, I have found the character of Billy the Kid very intriguing because of his outlaw reputation. From what I know about him, he was a rebel and fit the bill of an American cowboys in regards to his violent and rugged nature. The following document seems promising as to providing a more in depth analysis about Billy the Kid. "The True Life of Billy The Kid" may be what I read if I decide to focus on him and his true lide story.
One topic that I have in mind for this project is writing about the development overtime of a town that was settled here in Colorado by some of the first miners and settlers. A couple sources that I have found that look promising are "A Treatise on Leadville" and "Idaho Springs: Its mines and mineral waters."
ReplyDeleteI am also interested in the development of saloons and the roles that women played in building up the "Wild West" image. One person who I might look further into is Pearl de Vere, known as the Madam of the West.
The three articles are interesting to me are "First annual exhibit..for the city of Keokuk, Iowa, for the year 1857", "Mount Pleasant City Directory", and "The First Eight Months of Oklahoma". These articles are intriguing sources because they all have to do with the development of cities in the West.
ReplyDeleteThis includes schools, stores, businesses, courthouses, etc.
I am interested in learning about how the frontier was developed and how it transformed to what we see today. The three sources I have chosen are all interesting in that they either give a first hand account of a developing city (First Eight Months in Oklahoma) or they list all of the new developments in a town ("First exhibit..."and "Mount Pleasant City Directory").
“Map of Boulder and vicinity” Graff 319
ReplyDelete“Union Pacific Railroad” Graff 4251
Avery, A. “Hand-book and travelers' guide of New Mexico...Denver, Colo.: E. Price & Co., 1881.” Graff 123
I found all three sources interesting because they focus on transportation and railways in the west. The “Hand-book and Travelers’ Guide” will give me useful information regarding accessibility convenience to travel by rail. I am fascinated by the light-rail system today, and I am interested in drawing parallels with its historical counterpart. The maps give great context as to where population was growing, and foreshadows where it would grow. Overall, I feel that these three sources will help me create a picture of the development of transportation via rail in around Denver, CO.
A correct account of the murder of Generals Joseph and Hyrum Smith- John Taylor
ReplyDeleteThe life, times and treacherous death of Jesse James
llustrated lives and adventures of Frank and Jesse James and the Younger brothers, the noted western outlaws
I am really a criminology minor so I am very interested in criminal activity. I would like to look at some of the famous old crimes and learn more about them.
Guide to the collections - Denver Art Museum
ReplyDeleteDenver Art Museum : Major works in - Denver Art Museum
The West explored : The Gerald Pete
These sources seem interesting because all relate to western art which is a point of interest of mine. Also the first two are from the Denver Art Museum which is interesting because they relate directly to the place I live. Additionally I would like to visit the Denver Art Museum so this is like a preview for when i finally have that opportunity.
"The Rough Riders"
ReplyDelete"The life and adventures of James P. Beckwourth, mountaineer, scout, and pioneer, and chief of the Crow Nation of Indians..."
"Our new West"
All three of these documents are interesting because they discuss settling of the west from different perspectives. One is from those of the colonizers and the other is the tale of an Indian Chief who has to deal with said colonizers, while the final document discusses why people wanted to move out west and the surrounding support for such a move.