The All About History Book of the Wild West separates fact from fiction, uncovering the fights for survival and the gruelling trials of the American frontier. Trace the adventures that took people beyond the edge of the map in search of gold, new land and trade goods. Find out why Jesse James and his infamous gang robbed banks and trains and committed murder, how he met his grisly end and why he became an American legend. Learn about Native American heroes, like Geronimo and Sitting Bull, who fought desperately to hold on to their ancestral lands. Discover how the Battle of the Alamo helped shape a nation and why the Battle of Little Bighorn still resonates today. Packed with incredible images and insightful illustrations, this is the perfect companion for anyone wanting to discover the Wild West for themselves.
BOOK OF THE WILD WEST
All About History Book of the Wild West
HOW WAS THE WILD WEST WON? • From Jefferson to Geronimo, discover the wars, people and events that moved the American frontier west during the 19th century
DISCOVERING THE AMERICAN WEST • They ventured across the country through unknown terrain, facing danger and discovery at every turn. This is the journey of Lewis and Clark
Life after the voyage • What became of the intrepid pair once they returned
On the trail • Track the intrepid explorers’ journey across Louisiana Territory
Notable Discoveries
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FUR COMPANY • The tough mountain survivalists that revolutionised the fur trade, mapped the wilds of North America, and almost drove the beaver to extinction
The real-life Revenant
THE INDIAN REMOVAL ACT • President Andrew Jackson’s controversial legislation removed tens of thousands of Native Americans from their own land. The exodus became known as the Trail of Tears
DAVY CROCKETT • Was Davy Crockett really the king of the wild frontier? Perhaps not, but he was certainly a legend in his own lifetime
Timeline
The death of Davy Crockett
Bluffer’s Guide THE TEXAS REVOLUTION • MEXICO, 2 OCTOBER 1835 - 21 APRIL 1836
BATTLE OF THE ALAMO • San Antonio de Béxar, Mexican Texas 6 March 1836
WAGONS WEST RIDING THE OREGON TRAIL • Journalist and politician Horace Greeley famously stated “Go West, young man.” He had no idea just how arduous and dangerous a trip he was suggesting
Women of the frontier
THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR • America’s manifest destiny is something that is taught in schools across the globe, but it wasn’t something that happened easily
Key Figures
CALIFORNIA THE STATE MADE OF GOLD • How one man’s accidental discovery of gold would go on to change the face of California forever
The first Gold Rush millionaire
Carving out routes
LAST ORDERS at the BAR • Step through the swinging doors of the Old West’s wildest watering holes
The west’s wildest SALOONS, BARKEEPS AND FLOOSIES
FIRE DOWN THE HOLE • It wasn’t just whiskey on the menu
THE PONY EXPRESS • Arduous, dangerous and vital to expanding the western frontier, the legendary Pony Express was once the fastest courier service in the Old West
The legendary ‘Pony Bob’
HOW THE PATH TO THE WEST LED TO WAR • As the United States spread westward, one question divided the nation: would the new states be Slave States or Free States?
Lots of houses on the prairie
THE APACHE WARS 1849-1886 • When the southwest was won for the United States, the Apache tribes fought for their freedom and lost their homeland in the process
Timeline
Cochise • The undefeated chief
GERONIMO • Geronimo was many things – a warrior, a thief, a killer and a leader. But it was what he wasn’t – a husband and a father – that...
