Land of Many Frontiers: A History of the American Southwest

The Southwest has a long history, for Spanish explorers were crossing the region less than four decades after Columbus discovered America, many decades before the east coast of the United States was opened. Just one century ago a few hardy pioneers occupied west Texas, while Arizona boasted not a single school, jail, courthouse, stageline, or clergyman. The Southwest contains great geographical contrasts, from barren deserts to lofty mountains, from swift-flowing rivers to arid stretches, from endless varieties of cacti to aspens and towering pines. The area is still a land of many frontiers. The book presents a history of this region from before the first Spanish adventurers searched for the golden Cities of Cibola to the latest events in its economic and political life.