Twenty years after many Western historians first turned their attention toward women, Women in the American West synthesizes the development of women's history in the region, introduces readers to current thinking on the real experiences of Western women, and explores their influence on the course of expansion and development since the 19th century. Women in the American West offers vivid portrayals of women as pioneers, prostitutes, teachers, disguised soldiers, nurses, entrepreneurs, immigrants, and ordinary citizens caught up in extraordinary times. Organized chronologically, each chapter emphasizes important themes central to gender and women's history, including women's mobility, women at home, wage labor, immigration, marriage, political participation, and involvement in wars at home and abroad. With this revealing volume, readers will see that women had a far more profound effect on the course of history in the Western United States than is commonly thought.

Analyzes the history of the American West from a gendered perspective that links the development of the masculine imagery of the region to national and current events. Approximately 30 photographs, including images of Japanese women in internment camps during World War II, images that document women's roles in the 1968 United Farmworkers strike, and depictions of women's increasingly prominent roles in sports. Includes a chronology of major historical events in the history of the American West from the early 1800s to the present, and explores their connection to the women highlighted in the book. Links the experience of women in the West to the unique settlement patterns of the region, including Native American migration, immigration, and non-Native homesteading. Offers an expert synthesis of three decades of historical writing on the experience of women in the American West. Subscription. This title is viewable in browser only.