Barbed wire : the fence that changed the West / Joanne S. Liu.
Material type:
TextPublication details: Missoula, Mont. : Mountain Press Pub. Co., 2009.Description: viii, 141 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cmISBN: - 0878425578 (pbk. : alk. paper)
- 9780878425570 (pbk. : alk. paper)
- Barbed wire -- Political aspects -- West (U.S.) -- History
- Barbed wire -- Social aspects -- West (U.S.) -- History
- Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.)
- Ranch life -- West (U.S.) -- History
- Social conflict -- West (U.S.) -- History
- Wire fencing -- West (U.S.) -- History
- West (U.S.) -- History
- West (U.S.) -- Race relations
- West (U.S.) -- Social conditions
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 978.02 L783 | Available | 33111006230391 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
How could an ordinary fence shape a nation's history? Before the 1870s, much of the American West was an uninterrupted expanse of plains, where native tribes followed buffalo herds for hundreds of miles and cowboys ran cattle wherever water and grass led them. After the Homestead Act of 1862, settlers pouring into the West to stake their claims found that farming was not easy in cattle country, where the Law of the Open Range dictated that the needs of the herds-and their owners-came first. Then, seemingly overnight, everything changed. The invention and mass production of barbed wire made it possible for homesteaders to fence off millions of acres, creating a violent clash of cultures. In this engaging history, the struggles of cattlemen, farmers, Indians, inventors, and outlaws are brought to life for history buffs and curious readers alike. Enhanced by historic photos, maps, and a handy chronology, Barbed Wire: The Fence That Changed the West reveals the fascinating account of how a simple twist of wire transformed a country's landscape and ushered in a new way of life.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Wide open range -- In the wake of war -- Land up for grabs -- Sticks and stones -- A twist of the wire -- Light as air, stronger than whiskey, cheap as dirt -- The devil's rope -- The fence cutting wars -- Moonshine wire -- Full steam ahead -- The big die-up -- Cattlemen settle down -- Native lands corralled -- Fencing free-for-all -- The new face of the West.