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Loading... Dakota: The Story of the Northern Plainsby Norman K. Risjord
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Sometimes one gets a book that's less than the sum of its parts, and such is the case here. For the most part, you'd be better off reading the Wikipedia entries on either North or South Dakota, before going off to find a more specialized work on a given topic. I'm probably being a bit hard on the author, as what I thought I was going to be reading was a more focused examination of the territorial period of the region. ( ) no reviews | add a review
History.
Nonfiction.
HTML: The northern plains are often ignored by the rest of the nation or, if not, are mentioned in the context of the weather, Mount Rushmore, or the Black Hills. However, North Dakota and South Dakota have a colorful pastâ??and presentâ??deserving of greater recognition. Norman K. Risjord relates the remarkable histories of these two states, from the geological formation of the Great Plains to economic changes in the twenty-first century. Risjord takes the reader on a journey through the centuries detailing the first human inhabitants of the northern plains, the Lewis and Clark expedition, homesteading and railroad building, the political influence of the Progressive movement, the building of Mount Rushmore, and Wounded Knee II. Included are stories of such noteworthy characters as French explorer VĂ©rendrye, the Lakota leader Red Cloud, North Dakota political boss Alexander McKenzie, and South Dakota Democrat George S. McGovern. Despite the shared topography and the rivers that course through both states, the diverse reactions of the two states to the challenges of the twentieth century provide opportunities for arresting comparisons. This captivating look at the Dakotas' geography, ecology, politics, and culture is essential reading for Dakotans and those interested in the rich history of this important region. Purchase the audio edition. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)978.3History and Geography North America Western U.S. South DakotaLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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