President James Monroe recommended the creation of a series of military posts along the upper reaches of the Mississippi. The objective was to expand contact with the Indians, exploit trade with British companies, and offer protection for settlers. In 1819 exploration began along the Upper Missouri and eventually the string of military posts was established. The American Fur Company began the first full-scale development of the area, and it was Astor...

"In a vigorous, reasoned style, Robert G. Athearn tells the story of the black migration from areas of the South to Kansas and other midwestern and western states that occurred soon after the end of the Reconstruction. Working almost from primary sources- letters of some of the black migrants, government investigative reports, and black newspapers- he describes and explains the "Exoduster" movement and sets it into perspective as a phenomenon in frontier...