There is no doubt that the American West was a violent place. Why was this so? What kept the region from chaos and civil war? Professor Allitt’s brief survey of violence explores the rise of vigilante justice, race riots against Mexicans and Chinese, and class conflict at coalmines. This free full-length lecture comes from the course The American West: History, Myth, and Legacy. Learn more about this course and start your FREE trial of The Great Courses Plus here: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/show/the_american_west_history_myth_and_legacy?utm_source=US_OnlineVideo&utm_medium=SocialMediaEditorialYouTube&utm_campaign=151290 About This Course: The brutal conflict of cowboys and Indians. Dusty, dangerous outposts policed by vigilante justice. The six-shooter showdown at high noon. Daring railroad heists and arduous cattle drives. These and other scenes from countless Western films have so shaped our conception of the American West that it’s impossible to separate myth from reality. But how wild was the West? Was it really ever “won”? According to historian and award-winning Professor Patrick N. Allitt of Emory University, the historical approach to understanding the American West has moved far beyond pop culture in recent years. “Nearly all the clichés and bromides of the old Western history have been discarded,” he says. “We’re now much more aware of the histories, not just of the people who happened to end up on top—but also the histories of the diverse peoples who were defeated or displaced.” It turns out that the legendary people and events we associate with the Wild West—the last stand at the Alamo, the Battle of Little Bighorn, the exploits of Calamity Jane and Kit Carson, the glories and hardships of the Gold Rush and the Oregon Trail—are just as exciting in the light of history as the tall tales that have defined our conception of them. Explored chronologically, they form a story more thrilling than any Hollywood Western. And it’s a story not just of adventure and danger but a story about how the United States, as it acquired new territories and encountered new peoples, transformed a collection of newly independent states into a continent-bestriding colossus that would dominate the 20th century. Designed to shine a light on truths about westward expansion and the American frontier (sometimes uncomfortable, always insightful), The American West: History, Myth, and Legacy is a way for you to experience the grit and grandeur of an epic period in American history. Professor Allitt’s 24 lectures, rich with historical detail, take you from the era of the American Revolution to the beginning of the 20th century and uncover new historical angles and perspectives about events and themes ranging from the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Indian Removal Act to the creation of America’s first national parks. Packed with period maps and artwork, photographs, diary entries, and more, this course is an entertaining, eye-opening, balanced look at the achievements and sufferings of a period and place as important as it was wild. Learn more about this course and start your FREE trial of The Great Courses Plus here: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/show/the_american_west_history_myth_and_legacy?utm_source=US_OnlineVideo&utm_medium=SocialMediaEditorialYouTube&utm_campaign=151290 Please like/comment/share! And don't forget to subscribe to our channel - new videos are being added all the time! www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TheGreatCourses Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/thegreatcourses And on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGreatCourses Check out more of our videos in these playlists: • Science: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJEgqim5eTfDlciWrk5ClMoZ • Math: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJEi2s1OIWGVUpG4nFYMo-WG • History: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJH5gPqfxfQNBQHKC1H83XNt • Literature & Writing: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJFNpF0sHnyfv6YaQyHWLnS7 • Photography (in partnership with National Geographic): www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJEqzNy2SvlRkCejtVsvhGZ2 • Cooking (in partnership with The Culinary Institute of America): www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJFzDUkdjRybfJk_w9qKzwLW • Health, Fitness, and Nutrition: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBB9AA822BC52EA6F • Fine Arts & Music: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJHCWKq9ecOVmPtfDD27BpgC • Business & Economics: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCED2FB964D9E5AC2 • Philosophy & Intellectual History: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJFv18-usTZvWWt7DBck_tLG • Religion & Theology: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJGXGrAwYybPZxPP4uF_Dw8c • Professional & Personal Development: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjlnbdCliaJEGidyFUTuYptC3fB1oUY-B

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