Remembering Catalina Trico, an Early Colonist of New Netherland in 1624
In the founding years of New Netherland (today’s New York), there were very few prominent women to be found amongst the political leaders of the time, even though Dutch women enjoyed a degree of...
Remembering William Howe
On this day in 1814, William Howe, one of the most accomplished British military figures, died. He was a British general who was sent to America in March of 1775and played a major role during the...
Pecos Bill: The Wildest Cowboy of American Folklore
Pecos Bill stands tall—larger than life—in the landscape of American frontier folklore. Born from the campfire tales of cowhands in the late 19th century, Bill embodies the boundless imagination...
The Pacific Railway Act: A Public Investment That Transformed a Nation
Although Americans tend to forget how critical our railway system was to the development of the American West, the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 stands as a defining example of how public investment...
The Bear Flag Revolt: A Brief, Turbulent Bid for California Independence
In the summer of 1846, a small frontier uprising in the northern California settlement of Sonoma briefly reshaped the destiny of the American West. Known as the Bear Flag Revolt, this short‑lived...
Louis McLane and the Early Rise of Wells Fargo
When people think of Wells Fargo, images of stagecoaches, gold shipments, and the rugged American West usually come to mind. What’s less known is the role played by Louis McLane, a...
Remembering Mary Matilda Matthews, A Pioneer Woman in the 1870’s
Imagine a young woman who leaves her comfortable home and family life in New York and travels to the frontier territory of Northern Nevada in 1870, to seek out the explanation for her brother’s...
Remembering Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill, born William Frederick Cody on this date in 1846, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman who became one of the most famous figures of the American West. He earned the...
February 8, 1887: The Infamous Dawes Act Becomes Law, Targeting Native-American Reservations for Extinction
The Dawes Act We’ve written a number of stories about the slow and steady erosion of Native-American tribal lands in the 19th century due to the encroachments of white settlers—the natural...