Six Pioneer Accounts of Life on the Old North-West American Frontier, 1790-1850: A Critical Reading

The appeal of this book hinges on a critical reading of the accounts of six literate early 19th century pioneer authors and their families, three from America’s eastern coast and three from the UK. It highlights the struggles they faced as they attempted to shape and sustain a life and a future in the territorial wilderness in what was originally designated as America’s “Northwest Territory,” but is now commonly identified as the “Old North-West,” which includes the present day states of Pennsylvania (west of the Alleghenies), Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. For all six pioneer authors, survival depended on the ability to sustain “grace under pressure” and to overcome unexpected existential challenges that demanded resourcefulness, ingenuity, and a sense of their own self-worth and their variant but embedded cultural identities that served to advance a deep-rooted sectionalism that, on occasion, continues to imperil fundamental American democratic ideals.