Homesteading the Plains

Richard Edwards is the director of the Center for Great Plains Studies and a professor of economics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is the author of numerous books, including Natives of a Dry Place: Stories of Dakota before the Oil Boom. Jacob K. Friefeld has a PhD in history from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he is also a postdoctoral research fellow. Rebecca S. Wingo is assistant professor of history and director of the public history program at the University of Cincinnati.

• List of IllustrationsList of TablesAcknowledgments1. Competing Visions of Our Homesteading Past2. Recalculating Homesteading’s Reach and Success3. Evolving Views on Homesteading Fraud4. Estimating the Extent of Fraud5. Homesteading and Indian Land Dispossession6. Women Proving Up Their Claims7. Mapping Community Formation8. Envisioning a New History of HomesteadingAppendix 1: An Annotated Review of GLO Circulars, 1862–1904Appendix 2: Sources for Chapter 5 Graphs and MapsNotesBibliographyIndex

"Homesteading the Plains is an important revisionist work-a must-read for those interested in the revitalization of historical interest in homesteading and the settlement of the Far West."-Mark M. Carroll, Western Historical Quarterly "Homesteading the Plains does an excellent job of providing reasons to be excited for the future of homesteading research while celebrating the past success of the Homestead Act, its principal role in the history of both the Great Plains and the entire country, and its enduring legacy on the land and the people who call it home."-Andrew Husa, Great Plains Quarterly "Homesteading the Plains is a provocative, well-informed, and strongly argued analysis of the role of homesteading in settling the Great Plains from 1863 to 1900. . . . Throughout the book the factual evidence isenriched by the stories of individual lives which are also embedded in the records. The result is a definitive analysis which is also a pleasure to read. It will serve as a model for future historians who want to circumvent the myths and find the facts about homesteading and its role in the development of the nation."-David J. Wishart, Nebraska History "Homesteading looms large in the folklore and memories of European settlement of the North American Great Plains, but has almost disappeared from professional research and writing, including mainstream US history textbooks. These three authors aim to revise the standardized views of homesteading. . . . Every library with any interest in frontier/western/Great Plains history should have a copy of this book."-S. D. Reschly, Choice "Homesteading the Plains showcases the value of digitized homestead records, arguing persuasively that we need to reconsider and challenge long accepted and widely circulated "stylized facts" in the light of the detailed research now possible."-Sarah Carter, Montana: The Magazine of Western History "Edwards, Friefeld, and Wingo break new ground on the well-trod soil of Plains settlement history."-Cynthia C. Prescott, Middle West Reviews "Recommended for all plains folk who like to brandish their homestead certificates, or who just share a tie to the land."-Prairie Public News   "A welcome contribution to the understanding of our region."-Omaha World-Herald "Homesteading the Plains is a "must-read" for Great Plains scholars, as well as for those interested in the American West and in GIS applications. It is a much-needed call for a revitalization of homesteading scholarship, and an example of how dramatically technology and historians' increased access to data can shift the historiography. The authors should be congratulated on their contribution to future Great Plains studies, as their book will doubtless serve as a fine kick-start to a new renaissance in homesteading research."-Julie Courtwright, Missouri Historical Review "Homesteading the Plains represents an exciting new starting point for studying the Homestead Act's impact on agricultural expansion."-Ginette Aley, Kansas History