The Frontiersmen

The Old West #19

by Paul O'Neil

Portrays the people and times, the drama and danger of the developing frontier in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century United States.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Westerns, American History

240 pages, Leather Bound

First published July 1, 1977

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Pat Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Time Life Old West series book. As you can imagine, this is about men and families who settled in the US early history and migrated west almost immediately. Of course they were very tough people as they had to do everything for themselves. There were no stores, no hospitals, no schools, and no cities. They had to contend with wild animals, and Natives who routinely attacked. These Frontiersmen were up to the task though. They learned to fight like the Natives. They became crack shots. There is a part in here about Daniel Boone and his heroics. The roots of the revolution are in here and there were battles with not only Natives, but with the British and sometimes French and Spanish. A good part mof this book has stuff about the Revolution in it. So this is a lot m,ore than just tales of men in coonskin hats wandering the wilds. Some history of Andrew Jackson is focused on as well. His stories are wild and wooly to say the least. the last 25 pages or so were about the Battle of New Orleans. This part alone makes the book worth reading, though any fan of American history would probably like the book as a whole. But the description of that battle lifted my spirits almost as vigorously as The Killer Angels by Shaara. This battle has been romanticized in good part by the song "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton which earwormed me as I read this part. P.S. I like earworms.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about frontiersman, those who headed up the movement toward the West in the 19th century. A nice map on page 16 notes the passageways to the early frontier--Zane's Trace, the Wilderness Road, and so on--marking the way to Ohio, Kentucky, and so on.

A whole chapter is devoted to Daniel Boone, whose exploits are well known. Nonetheless, his actions and explorations are the stuff of legend. The chapter on him lays out his many contributions--as well as his perpetual financial difficulties (he was always in trouble with his finances into his 80s).

There is also the story of the native Americans. They were often at war with the frontiersman, as they tried to defend their own lands. Tecumseh's war against Americans is told here. Also told is the story of Sequoyah, who created a written language for the Cherokee.

The story of George Rogers Clark and "The Hair Buyer," British Commander Henry Hamilton, is well told, too. Clark's exploits helped Americans take control in the West.

Other stories: doctors in the frontier; the story of the slippery General James Wilkinson; Andrew Jackson; and many more.

In the final analysis, this is another nice addition to the Time-Life series, "The Old West." Well written, covering a lot of territory, and taking its subject seriously, it provides a nice, easily accessible introduction to the subject. It is not an academic tome; it does not add great detail. But it does well what it does.