Settling the West
A History of the American Frontier
Guest: H.W. Brands, Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History, University of Texas at Austin, and author, "Dreams of El Dorado: A History of the American West"
Suede hats, stirrups, gun-slinging, and outlaws. These images have become synonymous with the rugged individuals who sought the freedom of the wild West. But according to H.W. Brands, the history of the American frontier involves more than just cowboys. If there's a red thread to all the stories of settling the American West, it might just be the dreams of El Dorado, no matter if you're a preacher, a politician, or a miner. But, it's fascinating that people expected to fail before they succeeded out West.
What Is a Western?
Guest: Josh Garrett-Davis, Associate Curator of Western History, Popular Culture, and Firearms at the Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, and author, "What Is a Western? Region, Genre, Imagination"
Westerns influenced ideals of American manhood, but there's a lot more to the genre than cowboys. For example, we often overlook the significance of the landscape in this genre. Our guest asks, "Is 'The Mandalorian' a Western?" And why do Westerns have such a global appeal?