The half century following the "closing of the frontier" was one of the crucial periods in the history of the North American West. Although the reality of the region's history is a fascinating topic, the image of the West in the minds of non-Westerners is an equally important historical concept. By the eve of World War II, in fact, the West had become a region with a unique status in American life, largely because of the image constructed over the preceding fifty years.

The focus of HIST 4990 will be the image (or vision) of the West as constructed in the media published in other regions of the nation. Each student will prepare an appropriately rigorous research paper (approx. 5000 words) examining one aspect or example of this construction of the region's identity. In addition, each student will be expected to present the results of his/her research at various stages of completion. Additional requirements may be included in the course syllabus.

For the purposes of this course, the "North American West" includes the Rocky Mountain and Pacific states (including Alaska and Hawaii), as well as the western provinces of Canada. Original sources for the research paper will be periodicals published outside the region during the 1890-1940 period. These periodicals might include newspapers and magazines such as Harper's, New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, North American Review, National Geographic Magazine, and others. Students will be required to use those periodicals in the holdings of the TTU library; no other sources will be accepted. Students will, of course, be expected to survey appropriate secondary sources to establish the historical context of their research topic.

Topics that would be appropriate for the research paper include the following:

Numerous other topics are, to be certain, possible.

Additional information is available from the instructor.