Ranching and the American West: A History in Documents

The transformation of the American West is one of the key topics in the study of United States history and global environmental history. The role of ranching in the West is also central to the growing field of animal history. This volume covers the periods between the early Indigenous acquisition of horses in the 18th century, to the introduction of Hispanic horsemanship techniques and market cattle in the “Old West,” and finally to the work of ranching families to sustain their way of life.

The documents in this volume reveal not simply the human past, but also the distinct histories of cattle, horses, and the land. Readers will explore intersecting themes of capitalism and beef, environmental change, rural labor, gender and racial politics as debated by westerners themselves, as well as the meaning and power of the cowboy myth in American life. The introduction incorporates recent scholarship and provides a fresh look at this key topic in American history, along with the informative headnotes and rich annotations that help orient the reader within the historical sources.