Writing the Range: Race, Class, and Culture in the Women's West

In mythic sagas of the American West, the wide western range offers boundless opportunity to profile a limited cast of white men. In this pathbreaking anthology, Jameson and Armitage brings together 29 essays which present the story of women from that era. Clearly written and accessible, Writing the Range makes a major contribution to ethnic history, women's history, and interpretations of the American West. 27 illustrations. 3 maps.

Destroying the myth that women in the American West were merely the worried wives or saucy saloon singers portrayed in the movies, the 29 essays in this collection show that females played a vital role on the American frontier. The essays often have a critical aspect, making specific arguments about the role women played in the settling of the West, but what is perhaps most enlightening about the book are biographical sketches demonstrating that the some of the most remarkable people taming the frontier were women.