Frederick Jackson Turner (1861-1932) presented an essay at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 that would change the study of American History forever. This essay would ultimately be published with twelve supporting articles to form "The Frontier in American History". Turner was an innovator in that he was one of the first to call attention to the Frontier as an integral part of the study of The United States of America. Turner himself grew up on...

The rise and fall of ancient Rome has been on American minds from the beginning of our republic. Today we focus less on the Roman Republic than on the empire that took its place. Depending on who's doing the talking, the history of Rome serves as either a triumphal call to action or a dire warning of imminent collapse. In Are We Rome? the esteemed editor and author Cullen Murphy reveals a wide array of similarities between the two empires: the blinkered,...

Examines the exploration and migration of trappers, missionaries, and explorers west of the Mississippi after the Louisiana Purchase and the expedition of Lewis and Clark.

Learn events and historical figures of the westward expansion. Find out how the Louisiana Purchase and the Gold Rush encouraged exploration and settlement of the U.S. frontier, and the relationship between settlers and the Native American population. Features reenactments, journal entries, and historic imagery.

Learn about daily life in the pioneer communities like trading posts and sodhouses that sprang up in the western territories of the United States in the 1800s. Also see how geography affected the economy and settlement patterns. Features reenactments, journal entries, and historic imagery.