The Significance of the History of the American West: Postscripts and Prospects

Abstract

After annual meeting of American Historical Association in December 1888, John Franklin Jameson wrote to his father, the meetings ... were extremely stupid ... We had much Western history warmed-over from [the canceled meeting in Columbus]. Western history is stupid anyway, I think .. .' Seven years later Catalogue of University of Wisconsin carried a new course heading, The History of West, and instructor, young FrederickJackson Turner, was to become Jameson's trusted advisor in latter's important roles in developing profession. Jameson's letter, inception of Turner's course, and his emergence as a person of professional consequence were all related to major changes underway in history discipline. This paper considers origins and development of western history in American institutions of higher learning, examines changing face of western history textbooks used by generations of college students, and tries in some degree to evaluate past and future significance of history of western America as a curricular offering.