1931 book the great plains

In 1931 walter prescott webb produced his influential book, the great plains, which after half a century remains a vital and stimulating work, often wrong but vigorously argued, a paragon of regionalist thought. More information about this seller contact this seller 30. Publishes books and journals especially in american history, the american west, and. The thesis of the book is to show how, the great plains have bent and molded angloamerican life, have destroyed traditions, and have influenced institutions in a most singular manner 8. The rest of the nation was in the grip of the great depression, but in wheat country they were reaping a record. Canadian government and black migration from oklahoma, 19051912 r.

History of the great plains this blog is intended to supplement a course offering for the spring 2009 semester at the university of iowa, the history of the great plains. Encyclopedia of the great plains earp, wyatt 18481929. The southwestern historical quarterly, volume 35, july. Certainly, for an overview of the history of land use in the great plains, this book is wellsuited for both economic and social historians. The beauty of the plains is not just in themselves but in the sky, in what you think when you look at them, and in what they are not, wrote ian frazier in his classic road trip book, great plains. The great plains, published in 1931 by ginn and company of waltham. In his book the great plains 1931, walter prescott webb noted that sign language was an essential. It lies west of the mississippi river tallgrass prairie in the united states and east of the rocky mountains in the u. Essentially, webb describes the plains as a completely different place that americans had to adapt to after crossing west of the 98th meridian.

This illustrated history for young readers offers a sweeping view of the the catastrophe and its consequences, told through moving firstperson accounts of typical participants. A travelogue, a work of scholarship, and a western adventure, great plains takes us from the site of sitting bulls cabin, to an abandoned house once terrorized by bonnie and clyde, to the scene of the murders chronicled in truman capotes in cold blood. The great plains is still considered a classic work going on a century after webb wrote it, and anyone who would learn more about this overlooked but fascinating part of our country would definitely find it rewarding. You could probably write a third book from the perspective of labor unions, a fourth from the perspective of the arts. It earned him a phd from ut and international acclaim. County reference map in center of book shows county roads, farmstead locations and 911 streets and avenues. Most of these volumes are available through the museum store. I fear for the great plains because many think they are boring.

The entirety of nebraska, north dakota, and south dakota. In the great plains, walter prescott webb introduced his thesis for the development of that region of america, which he used as the title for his book. Walter prescott webb, the great plains 1931 the edge. The dust bowl was the name given to the droughtstricken southern plains region of the united states, which suffered severe dust storms during. Walter prescott webb was an american historian noted for his groundbreaking work on the. Ian frazier is the author of great plains, the fishs eye, on the rez, family, and travels in siberia, as well as dating your mom, lamentations of the father, and the cursing mommys book of days. The book is outdated in this section, as it was written before the ogallala aquifer was in wide use to irrigate the region.

This classic description of the interaction between the vast central plains of america and the people who lived there has, since its first publication in 1931, been. Webb tweaked or discounted some of houghs ideas about the west, or the great plains, and instead focused on three attributes. The great plains by walter prescott webb goodreads. This classic description of the interaction between the vast central plains of america and the people who lived there has, since its first publication in 1931, been one of the. The result of this work was the great plains, published in 1931, hailed as great breakthrough in the interpretation of the history of the region, and declared the outstanding contribution to american history since world war i by the social science research council in 1939. What happened in 1931 including pop culture, significant. The great plains sometimes simply the plains is a broad expanse of flat land a plain, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland, located in the united states and canada. Each book we read in the class will be shared on the blog, whereupon students and other. This classic description of the interaction between the vast central plains of america and the people who lived there has, since its first publication in 1931, been one of the most influential, widely known, and controversial works in western history. The result of this work was the great plains, published in 1931, hailed as great breakthrough in the interpretation.

The physical basis of the great plains environment the plains indians the spanish approach to the great plains the american approach to the great plains the cattle kingdom transporation and fencing the search for water in the great plains new laws for land and water the literature of the great plains and about the great. Contrasting values of resoluteness, devotion to community, and modesty with the trials of the modern oilboom community, author richard edwards examines the old towns virtues through the stories of those who built and sustained a community on the dry, open plains in the 20th century. Reared on an east texas farm, walter prescott webb was, at 40, unemployed, having failed out of a university of chicago doctoral program. These include historical sketches, biographical material, personal accounts, and other research. Comprehensive discussions of northern great plains land use, economics, demographics, and culture can be found in webb 1931, popper and popper 1987, callenbach 1996, licht 1997, andwishart. Emerson hough s, the way of the west, 1922 and webbs own piece, the american revolver and the west, published in scribners magazine 1927. What happened in 1931 important news and events, key technology and popular culture. In 1923 she was awarded the pulitzer prize for one of ours 1922, a novel set during world war i. A drought hits the midwestern and plains states this year, dust from the overworked land begins creating dust storms. The book brought a groundbreaking perspective to the american west, and its history. Emerson houghs, the way of the west, 1922 and webbs own piece, the american revolver and the west, published in scribners magazine 1927. The great plains by webb, walter prescott seller t. It is an examination of the great plains and the people who chose to live there between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries.

The dust bowl refers to a ninetysevenmillionacre area in the southern great plains where drought and wind erosion were the most severe during the 1930s. Both the great plains and the prairie are considered in this book see map 1. Farmers plant dry wheat in the great plains prairies and continue to plow and plant millions of acres. Today, the plains serve as a major producer of livestock and crops.

Gpq volume 3 center for great plains studies nebraska. Elevation as well as moisture distinguishes the great plains from the prairie, with the lowland rising no more than 1,5002,000 feet above sea level and the great plains rising from this elevation to around 5,500. Walter prescott webb great plains thesis weber state university. Recently published books about the great plains center. I went in with high hopes but acknowledge now that twentyone years lapsed between this book and the russian one, and great plains, as great as it is, reads, and was, the work of a. Webb presents the history of the great plains in the centuries leading up to his time in the early 1930s. This general result is consistent with recent work by nasa scientists see schubert et al. A travelogue, a work of scholarship, and a western adventure, great plains takes us from the site of sitting bulls cabin, to an abandoned house once terrorized by.

Widowed at the age of twentytwo, earp opted for a life of adventure, heading to the great plains, where he spent most of the time from 1871 to 1873 hunting buffalo. American literary images of the canadian prairies, 18601910 james doyle 30. Jul 20, 20 from 1931 to 1940, a prolonged drought on the great plains brought disaster to countless americans, particularly in the states of kansas, nebraska, oklahoma, texas, colorado, and new mexico. Social scientists and farm poverty on the north american plains, 19331940 harry c. The kansas historical quarterly was published by the kansas historical society from 1931 1977. Extending approximately four hundred miles from north to south and three hundred miles from east to west, the dust bowl encompassed southeastern colorado, northeastern new mexico, western kansas, and the panhandles of texas and. Stories of dakota before the oil boom by richard edwards. A drought with nearly the same severity of what happened in the 1930s did impact the great plains during the decade of the 1950s, but unlike what happened in the 1930s, the 1950s drought did not impact north dakota.

In 1931, there was no better place to be a farmer than the southern plains. The great plains by webb, walter prescott and a great selection of similar used, new and collectible books available now at. The great plains is an expansive geographic region stretching across much of the united states. The great plains by walter prescott webb paperback for. Studies in the canadian and american great plains frances w. From 1931 to 1940, a prolonged drought on the great plains. The great prairie lawyer abraham lincoln once said of an opposing legal counsels argument, he caught on to something, but only by the hind leg.

During the summer of 1873 earp lived in the kansas cattle towns, and in april 1875 he briefly served as a peace officer in wichita. Weeds of the great plains weeds of the great plains is a collaborative effort between the university of nebraska and the nebraska department of agriculture. With his unique blend of intrepidity, tongueincheek humor, and wideeyed wonder, ian frazier takes us on a journey of more than 25,000 miles up and down and across the vast and mythinspiring great plains. A drought that had begun in the eastern united states the previous year, however, began moving west to the great plains.

The great plains, published in 1931 by ginn and company of waltham, massachusetts, remains one of the most important works of american frontier historiography over a half century after it first appeared. Webbs thesis states that, the great plains have bent and molded angloamerican life, have destroyed traditions, and have influenced institutions in a most singular. The historical society thanks the project volunteers for. The extreme drought of the 1950s impacted mainly the central and southern great plains. This work replaces weeds of nebraska and the great plains, previously published and sold by the department. December 7, 1873 april 24, 1947 was an american writer who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the great plains, including o pioneers. Buy a cheap copy of the great plains book by walter prescott webb. Great plains solid stand 15 15 no till drill, combination 2 pt hitch, 22x8, grass seed, rear press wheels updated. Rundell 1963 has examined webbs main books to see what inspired and prompted the writing of each, what the. In 1931, walter prescott webb published the great plains, attributing the ideas in the book to two earlier works.

I salivated over the possibilities of great plains after reading the authors travels in siberia. Along with other forms of traditional culture, such as music, dance, and folklore, folk speech plays a role in the conservation and perpetuation of great plains culture. The native american, spanish, and texan explorations and conflicts that took place before the region became part of the united states are recalled. The texas state historical association quarterly report includes papers read at the meetings of the association, and such other contributions as may be accepted by the committee volume 1, number 1. Index is located at the end of the volume starting on page 338. This overworking of the land is one of the main reasons that the dust bowl became so devastating and lasted so long.