The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West [Paperback]

Patricia Nelson Limerick (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0393304973 | ISBN-13: 978-0393304978 | Publication Date: January 30, 1987

"Limerick is one of the most engaging historians writing today." --Richard White

The "settling" of the American West has been perceived throughout the world as a series of quaint, violent, and romantic adventures. But in fact, Patricia Nelson Limerick argues, the West has a history grounded primarily in economic reality; in hardheaded questions of profit, loss, competition, and consolidation. Here she interprets the stories and the characters in a new way: the trappers, traders, Indians, farmers, oilmen, cowboys, and sheriffs of the Old West "meant business" in more ways than one, and their descendents mean business today. 28 illustrations

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The popular image of Western history is our own creation myth, writes the author, who teaches history at the University of Colorado. Frederick Jackson Turner's ethnocentric, nationalistic frontier is passe; modern historians have deemphasized the frontier, focusing on economics and the diversity of Western settlers. Limerick shows us a competitive, contentious West, an important meeting ground for Indians, Latin-Americans, Anglo- and Afro- Americans and Asians. On the subject of Western violence, she notes that the frontier environment is not a proper explanation for incidents involving Hispanics, Chinese, Japanese, blacks, Mormons, strikers and radicals. Limerick examines the key role of federal money in Western economya major issue of continuity in the area's history; she discusses "borderland" (Hispanic) history and immigration restrictions. History buffs will appreciate this dynamic perspective on the real, as opposed to fantasy, West. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The purpose of this volume, never precisely defined, appears to be twofold: to debunk the popular myths and misperceptions surrounding the settlement of the American West; and refute the theory that western history was a period marked by the opening and closing of a frontier. The author argues for thinking of the West as "a placeas many complicated environments," one that is a "preeminent case study in conquest and its consequences." However, she does not successfully integrate the various topics she tackles. The point of her work becomes increasingly vague as she jumps from topic to topic, her style ranging from intellectual and scholarly to casual and journalistic. Not recommended. Frank Schroth, Technology Training Assocs., Cambridge, Mass.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (January 30, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393304973
• ISBN-13: 978-0393304978
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars while a bit pessimistic it has its good points, May 24, 2002

By 

C. Corrick "legion120" (Bowling Green, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West (Paperback)

In The Legacy of Conquest, Patricia Nelson Limerick puts forth her thesis that the conquest of the Trans-Mississippi West is an ongoing economically driven process. Focusing on the West as a physical place rather than a mythic ideal, the author demonstrates how the frontier never closed and that the conquest continues to this day. The book looks at the conquerors of the West and the obstacles they face from Native peoples, westward expansion, immigration, and government interference or the lack thereof. Those coming west did not come with the idea of destroying the land or the Indians, but with the hope of economic improvement and opportunity.
Few people coming west concerned themselves with the Native Americans whose land they began to occupy. Farmers, ranchers, and miners seeking wealth worried more about their own survival than the survival of Indians. Many pioneers portrayed themselves as victims when their dreams of wealth came face to face with the reality of grasshopper plagues, overgrazed ranges, and barren mines. This self-victimization continues to this day with these same groups decrying government waste while asking for subsidies. However, some who came to the west did become true victims.
Some of those who came west in an attempt to make their fortune mining ended up working in the mines of large companies or working other low paying jobs. Those who worked in the mines put themselves in grave danger everyday. With no safety regulations and labor laws that blamed workers for their injuries, mining was one of the deadliest occupations. Attempts to unionize Mineworkers led to mine owners using violence and murder to dissuade union membership. Many who worked the mines immigrated from England and Ireland. These European immigrants, while low on the class scale, were not as low as those who came from a different ethnic background.
Non-white immigrants all faced similar experiences. Chinese immigrants, hoping to improve their lives, faced hostility from all sides. Local and state governments barred them from living in certain areas, bringing over their families, and working in all but the most menial and dangerous of occupations. Mexicans and Latinos who came to work in agriculture faced constant harassment and persecution that continues to this day. The idea that an immigrant is taking a job from an American plays a large part in anti-immigration movements to this day. Unfortunately, most who oppose immigration refuse to realize that the jobs immigrants perform are ones that most Americans consider to menial or low paying to perform. Limerick's weaving of the past and present together shows how the problems of the Old West are still with us today.
The author does an excellent job of examining the past problems of the West and showing how they are unresolved. Arguments between ranchers and the federal government persist over grazing fees. Farmers receive payments for not growing certain crops. Mining laws allow companies to buy land for a shockingly low price and strip it of its mineral worth and beauty. Native Americans, pushed onto reservations, are now suing for the enforcement of past treaties. Limerick shows the irony of the attitude of the West in pushing the federal government away with one hand while reaching for a handout with the other.
While The Legacy of Conquest is highly recommended to students of American history, it does have its flaws. The author overuses metaphor in the early chapters of the book, making it read more like an opinion piece than a historical one. The author's inclusion of the Mormon Church's problems seems forced and does not belong in a book about the economically driven conquest of the American West. Limerick also uses a non-chronological approach that may bother some readers. However, the author does an excellent job at combining primary and secondary sources into an interesting book. Despite some minor problems, Limerick shows that while the appearance of the West changes the conquest of the West continues.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific read, April 19, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Seattle,WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West (Paperback)

Limerick's work here is outstanding. Here ability to tie in the violence of the western expansion to our current myths and current behavior is terrific. Moreover, in addition to be an eye-opening and informative work, it is an enjoyable read as well. A must have for anyone who has an interest in Western history, or who simply wants to learn more about US history.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The continuity of history, April 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West (Paperback)

Anyone who still believes with Frederick Jackson Turner that the West somehow "closed" in 1898 should read this book. Limerick advances the thesis that the same boom-bust cycles and the same struggles over land, water, and mineral rights that characterized the "Wild West" are continuing to this day. She writes in an engaging style that combines well-told narrative with penetrating analysis.