Mental Territories: Mapping the Inland Empire (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Walking through the hills above Pullman, Washington, one summer, I came across a series of broken granite blocks amid the underbrush..." (more)
Key Phrases: Spokane Falls, British Columbia, Northern Pacific (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Katherine Morrissey's approach is fresh and distinctive, the scale of the research is enormous, and the case studies and brief biographies are both engaging and instructive. Most important, this book bridges the gap that usually separates the world of social history from the world of elite intellectual history."--Patricia Nelson Limerick, University of Colorado

"A penetrating, provocative look from the inside at the creation and contestation of regionalism that will give the 'ghostly' Inland Empire new vitality and fame among readers concerned with the rich complexities of a more fully human geography."--D. W. Meinig, Syracuse University

Rarely recognized outside its boundaries today, the Pacific Northwest region known at the turn of the century as the Inland Empire included portions of the states of Washington and Idaho, as well as British Columbia. Katherine G. Morrissey traces the history of this self-proclaimed region from its origins through its heyday. In doing so, she challenges the characterization of regions as fixed places defined by their geography, economy, and demographics. Regions, she argues, are best understood as mental constructs, internally defined through conflicts and debates among different groups of people seeking to control a particular area's identity and direction. She tells the story of the Inland Empire as a complex narrative of competing perceptions and interests.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801483263
• ISBN-13: 978-0801483264
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,207,511 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)