Iowa

In this engrossing history of the Hawkeye State, Dorothy Schwieder brings her seasoned insight to the story of the Middle Land. Iowa emerges here as a place of fascinating grassroots politics, economic troubles and triumphs, surprising cultural diversity, and unsung natural beauty. Above all, this is the history of the people of Iowa and the lives they have led - the accomplishments of both ordinary and not-so-ordinary Iowans. The twenty-ninth state was admitted to the Union on December 29, 1846. After 150 years of statehood, The Middle Land gives a fresh perspective on what happened in Iowa and why. It also looks at where it happened. The underlying theme is Iowa's location in the center of the United States and the implications of that middle land status. From grasslands to factories, Black Hawk to Branstad, Schwieder takes the reader on a compelling journey. She presents the experience of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Native Americans in the Iowa region; the beginning of white settlement; and the subsequent development of social, educational, and economic institutions. In often arresting detail, Schwieder recounts recent episodes of Iowa's history, such as the farm crisis of the 1980s and the initiation of the lottery and casino gambling. She explores previously neglected areas and issues of social history - women, minorities, community, and Prohibition. Dorothy Schwieder has given us a most valuable addition to our understanding of America's "purest of prairie states." Iowa: The Middle Land is well suited for college history courses and senior-high courses. It is a fine library reference for all Iowans (and non-Iowans) wishing to know more about the state's history. The bookuniquely emphasizes Iowa's economic and social history and draws on manuscript sources not previously cited in general histories of Iowa.

ISBN 0813823072   Pages 328 ISBN13 9780813823072 (What's this?)   Volumes 001 Publisher Iowa State University Press   Weight (grammes) 748 Imprint Iowa State University Press   Published in Arnes, AI Format Hardback   Height (mm) 229 Publication date 01 May 1996   Width (mm) 152 Library of Congress F621.S38 1   Spine width (mm) 34 DEWEY 977.7   Academic level Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly, General DEWEY edition DC20

		Preface
I		The Early Years: Early Populations, Explorations, and Government
1		Native Americans in Iowa		3
2		Exploration, Early Settlement, and Political Development		21
3		Pioneers on the Prairie		35
4		Economic Development in the Nineteenth Century		53
5		Iowans and the Civil War Era		67
6		Cultural Diversity: Immigrants and African Americans in the Hawkeye State, 1833-80		83
II		The Middle Years: Economic and Social Maturation, Cultural Conflict, and Political Development
7		Religious and Educational Institutions in Iowa: Establishing the Foundations		109
8		A Home First and a Business Second: Agriculture and Farm Life in the Middle Years		133
9		Town Life in the Middle Land		153
10		Urban Life in the Hawkeye State		171
11		Cultural Diversity		185
12		Social, Economic, and Political Issues in Iowa		211
13		Economic Development: Iowa's Industries and Industrial Workers		231
III		The Recent Years: Depression, War, and a Balanced Economy
14		The 1930s: A Time of Trial		255
15		World War II and the Years Beyond		275
16		Iowa in the Sixties and Seventies		297
17		Iowa: The 1980s and 1990s		315
		Notes		327
		A Note on Sources		353
		Index		357

 Be the first to write a customer review