The Oklahoma Press have kindly allowed us to
post a chapter from this book for which many thanks.
Scotland
and the American Indians
Purchase
this book online at Amazon.com |
Scots In
the North American West
1790 - 1917
By
Ferenc Morton Szasz
by permission of the University of
Oklahoma Press © 2000.
www.ou.edu/oupress
Although Scots have never been
an exceptionally large immigrant group in North America, their presence in
the West proved significant in a variety of arenas. In this unique and
engaging book, Ferenc Morton Szasz outlines the many contributions Scots
have made to the developments of the region.
Scots trappers dominated the fur
trade, often proving more loyal to clan than to trading company or nation.
Relying on centuries of experience raising livestock for British markets,
Scottish investors and managers became highly visible in the post-Civil War
western cattle industry with thriving outfits such as the Swan Land and
Cattle Company in Wyoming. They introduced new breeds to western ranching,
such as the Aberdeen Angus, that remain popular today. Scots herders
dominated the western sheep industry, running herds of over 100,000 animals.
Andrew Little's sheep ranch in Idaho was so famous that a letter addressed
simply "Andy Little, USA" found its intended recipient. This book
illuminates the many Scottish explorers, traders, adventurers, ranchers,
artists, photographers, and writers who helped forge what is perhaps
America's greatest cultural export - the myth of the West. |
