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Category Archives: Western history
Excavating Fear: The Emotional History of the American West
“PRAY FOR ME. I AM ALONE.” When Reverend Cyrus Byington penned these words in all capital letters from Indian Territory in 1841, he captured something often overlooked in the grand narrative of American westward expansion: terror. Surrounded by strangers, listening … Continue reading
Posted in American Heritage Center, Research grants, Uncategorized, Western history
Tagged 19th century, Abby Gibson, American West, Apache, Apache Wars, Arizona Territory, Battle of Little Bighorn, Black Hills War, Chiricahua Apache, Choctaw, Dakota Territory, emotional history, fear and terror, General George Crook, George A. Rentschler Fellowship, history of emotions, Indigenous resistance, Lakota, Manifest Destiny, Missionaries, settler colonialism, U.S. military history, westward expansion, Yavapai
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Behind the Foibles of Wyoming’s Prohibition Era
Many of us popped the cork on a bottle of champagne to welcome 2024. But a century ago, such celebrations that involved alcohol were illegal across the United States. Wyoming’s own noble experiment banning liquor began on June 30, 1919, … Continue reading
The Laboratory-War Zone: Natural Knowledge and Frontier Violence in the American West
The “Skull of [a] Medicine Man” sits among 728 photographs in William Henry Jackson’s Descriptive Catalogue of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories produced between 1869 and 1873. This seemingly unremarkable catalog listing obscures a disturbing reality – … Continue reading
Posted in 19th century, American history, American Indian history, Anthropology, Colonialism, Photography, Racism, Uncategorized, Western history
Tagged Epistemology, Ethnographic Photography, Geological Survey, Hayden Survey, Louis Agassiz, Manifest Destiny, Scientific Racism, Senses, Vision, William Henry Jackson
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John B. Kendrick and the Teapot Dome Scandal: A Historical Perspective
100 years ago, on October 25, 1923, the U.S. Senate Committee on Public Lands published its first report on the Teapot Dome scandal. The scandal stands as one of the most notorious episodes of political corruption in American history. Centered … Continue reading
Posted in American history, Corruption and scandals, Government accountability, Historical scandals, Petroleum history, Political controversy, Political history, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history
Tagged B. B. Brooks, Government Transparency, Harry F. Sinclair, John B. Kendrick, Leslie Miller, Mammoth Oil Company, Oil Leases, Teapot Dome scandal, Wyoming history, Wyoming politics
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Empowering Communities: Exploring the Impact of MEChA at the University of Wyoming
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, our blog is highlighting the archived collection of the University of Wyoming’s chapter of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlán, more commonly known by its acronym MEChA. As an organization, MEChA encourages cultural pride, … Continue reading
Posted in activism, Culture and heritage, Diversity and inclusion, Education and empowerment, Hispanic Heritage Month, Student organizations, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, Western history, Wyoming history
Tagged Chicano Student Movement, Cultural Pride, Diversity, MEChA, Student Activism, Student Activities, Student Involvement, Student Leadership, Student Life, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming history, University of Wyoming students
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Empowering Narratives: Celebrating LGBTQ+ History with the Award-Winning American Heritage Center and Gregory Hinton
Preserving and celebrating diverse narratives is crucial to understanding our shared history and fostering inclusivity in society. In a remarkable collaboration the American Heritage Center at along with playwright and producer Gregory Hinton, have been recognized for exceptional work in … Continue reading
Posted in announcements, Archival preservation, LGBT, LGBTQIA+, Out West in the Rockies, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history
Tagged AASLA, Crossdressing, Diversity in History, Gregory Hinton, Oral History, Out West in the Rockies, Sissy Goodwin, Society of American Archivists, Vickie Goodwin
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Wyoming Women’s History: Choices and Changes Oral History Project
In the United States, the generation born post-Depression, or about 1939 to the end of World War II in August 1945 have been named “War Babies.” The Baby Boomer generation soon followed, beginning in 1946, and has been credited with … Continue reading
Railroad Romance and Reality: Unpacking the Legacy of Railways in America
Documents and photographs found in the American Heritage Center’s collections can be used to explore the ways in which railways have been and are perceived in American society. Examples of these are in an AHC virtual exhibit titled “The Art … Continue reading
Posted in Economic History, exhibits, Railroad History, Toppan Rare Books Library, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Western history
Tagged Burlington & Quincy, Chicago, Ola Stout, Railroadiana, The Art of the Railroad, Transcontinental Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad, westward expansion
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A Madam’s Scrapbook: Remnants of Laramie’s Red-Light District
On the corner of the town stands a crazy, tumble-down rookery, full from cellar to shingles of liquors, gambling devices and everything that can be used to corrupt and rob men. Ruffians and tin-horn gamblers make night and day hideous … Continue reading
The “Peculiar Vibrations” of the Sweetwater County Seat
Were some of Sweetwater County’s earliest records stolen from the new county seat and lost in the desert way back in the 1870s? This is a popular story around Green River, the current Sweetwater County seat. It turns out, there … Continue reading