Westward Ho – Where did they go?

In 1893, Frederick Jackson Turner declared that westward expansion was the single most important element in the creation of American democracy.  We start the series by looking at how the unique American character was formed by our frontier experience.  From Columbus to Neil Armstrong, we are a people who have always explored the unknown.

The Western Frontier – The Pioneer Story

Miners, Soldiers, Pathfinders, Indians, Farmers, Ranchers, Lawmen and Outlaws, Railroad Builders.  The settlement of “The West” involved many groups with different goals, destinations, and lifestyles.  Each has a unique story to tell, but they are all part of the great migration to this new frontier.

Cowboys and Indians – Reality versus Imagination

Nothing is more “American” than the image of the cowboy.  What was the cowboy life really like?  Were American Indians the “savages” portrayed in books and movies?  Do we really know their story?

Cowboys and Outlaws on Stage and Screen

Let’s take a look at the “Wild West” of movies and television.  How real were those bygone days when the Good Guys wore white hats and the Bad Guys wore black?  Meet again the iconic stars like John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Maureen O’Hara, The Cartwrights, Fess Parker, Barbara Stanwyck, Roy Rogers, and many many more.