A History of the American West 1848-1893

Overview

Key facts

Images of rough cowboys and gunslingers in lawless western towns or lonely settlers fighting for survival against savage native Americans are central to American folklore. Such images however are largely a myth. The real West was far more diverse and dynamic. It was a crossroads of cultures, where various ethnic, religious and social groups struggled for property, profit, and cultural dominance.

University of Strathclyde's A History of the American West 1848-1893 class will chart the history of the West from the Mexican Cession of 1848 to the closing of the frontier in the 1890s, exploring how the image of the ‘wild west’ became the stuff of myths, legends and many, many movies.