America's Compelling Narrative of Conquering the Frontier: Old and New Perspectives

Cowboys, Indians, and settlers weren't always what we thought they were

One of the founding narratives of American history is “conquering the frontier,” from the courage of the European explorers “discovering” a New World to the early colonists risking their lives to tackle the wilderness and carve out productive lives.

They were sent by competing world empires — Britain, Spain, France, the Netherlands — to establish beachh…