The Rural West Since World War II

by R. Douglas Hurt

Overview

The history of the rural West in modern times is in many ways the history of America. Family farms have vanished and the rise of cities and suburbs have made the West disproportionately urban since World War II. But even though the West may seem less rural today than it was a century ago, agriculture, rural life, and agrarian politics remain inextricably linked to the economy and culture of the entire region.

In this new collection of original essays, a team of outstanding scholars—Donald J. Pisani, Paula M. Nelson, David Rich Lewis, and others—survey the changes in farms, small towns, and reservations throughout the West during the post-War era. They offer a fresh look at the major aspects of the rural West's history since 1945, showing how the advent of agribusiness has changed the character of rural life and exploring the ways in which the West nevertheless remains uniquely rural.

Some of the essays treat subjects long important to studies of the West, such as the cattle industry, agriculture, migrant labor, water policy, and environmental concerns. Others consider topics of increasing interest: social change, ranch and farm women, and reservation life. Together, they show how rural Westerners continue to make their voices heard in the national debate over major issues, from civil rights and welfare to environmental protection and corporate regulation.

The Rural West Since World War II greatly enlarges our understanding of this immense region, as well as its ties to and impact on the nation's political history. The volume will be required reading for anyone interested in rural, agricultural, and Western history, as it clearly shows this familiar region to be more than wide open spaces.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700608782
Publisher:	University Press of Kansas
Publication date:	04/03/1998
Series:	East-West Center Series on Contemporary
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Native Americans: The Original Rural Westerners, David Rich Lewis

2. Rural Life and Social Change in the Modern West, Paula M. Nelson

3. Environmentalism and Agriculture in the American West, James E. Sherow

4. Agricultural Policy Since 1945, Thomas R. Wessel

5. Ranch and Farm Women in the Contemporary American West, Sandra Schackel

6. Federal Water Policy and the Rural West, Donald J. Pisani

7. Migrant and Seasonal Farm Labor in the Far West, Anne B. W. Effland

8. Agricultural Science and Technology in the West, Judith Fabry

9. Cattle Raising and Dairying in the Western States, Mark Friedberger

10. Agribusiness in the American West, Harry C. McDean

Selected Bibliography

Contributors

Editorial Reviews

"The best brief introduction to a complex subject. . . . of interest to anyone concerned with present-day issues from agribusiness to water, from gender to Native Americans, and from environmentalism to technology. This book belongs on every western historian’s shelf."—Martin Ridge, coauthor of Writing the History of the American West "Provides a great deal of useful and interesting information about a subject that must be understood if one is to understand modern America."—Allan G. Bogue, author of From Prairie to Corn Belt "Examines a range of topics as wide as the region itself. A significant contribution."—Hal S. Barron, author of Mixed Harvest: The Second Great Transformation in the Rural North, 1870–1930 "A fresh and impressive collection."—David Danbom, author of Born in the Country: A History of Rural America

From the Publisher

Overviews changes in the rural West since WWII to show that agriculture, rural life, and agrarian politics have been inextricably linked to the economy and culture of the region even though the modern West has been disproportionately urban in population and city-driven in relation to economic, social, and political developments since 1945. The West is defined as the agricultural, small-town, and reservation West in Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast states. Themes include the cattle industry, migrant labor, water policy, environmentalism, women ranchers, and agribusiness. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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