"[The book] gives a chronological account of the frontier from 1763 to 1893… The general spirit in which this history is written is at once appreciative of the importance of the frontier with its epic quality and yet remains critical, filled with analytical discussions of frontier attitudes. Because of this, Mr. Paxson's contribution fills a real need.

Dahlin, Ebba

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.....History of the American Frontier 151fusely illustrated with cuts of specimens at the Museum. Theunique wood work technique is dwelt on at length, together withthe more customary industrial pursuits. The chapter on socialand political organization represents the most discriminating workin the book. The social organization and ceremonial life of thesetribes is among the most complex and elaborate developed by anyIndians north of Mexico. From a mass of descriptive detail theauthor has chosen the most significant points and presented themin a clear, concise manner. These tribes have a rigid caste sys-tem based on hereditary privileges and the accumulation of wealth.The chief is the one who has inherited and acquired the largestamounts. In order to retain his prestige he has to display hlswealth by giving potlatches. In the winter months a person'sclan and village affiliations were dropped and he sat in the pot-latch house with the members of his secret society and partici-pated in their ritual. It has taken ethnologists many years to un-ravel this shifting system of associations.The art of the North Pacific coast people falls into twoclasses, the geometric designs used by the women in basketry,clothing decoration and weaving, and the semi-realistic art usedby the woodcarvers. The subjects for this last named art aretaken from the mythology and family traditions of the people.One of the privileges of the chiefs and other people of high rankwas that they could display their family crests in carvings andpaintings on their houses, on grave posts and on personal belong-ings. The canons of this art have been studied in considerabledetail of which Goddard gives an excellent resume.This sketch should be of great help to all who seek informa-tion on the aboriginal culture of this area, but who have neitherthe opportunity nor the need of dealing with the original source,..For many tribes there is excellent and fairly extensive materialat hand; the author availed himself of this to the best advantage.The book shows fine press work and has very ample illustrations.ERNA GUNTHER.History of the American Frontier. By FREDERIC L. PAXSON(Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1924. Pp. 598. $6.00.)Theodore Roosevelt's "Winning of the West" is the story ofthe conquest of the frontier; Frederick Jackson Turner's book on"The Frontier in American History" is a brilliant' interpretationof the frontier and its significance; Frederic L. Paxson's recent152 Book Reviewswork seems to complete; the trilogy, for it gives a chronologicalaccount of the frontier from 1763 to 1893. Roosevelt was the pio-neer himself in spirit, convinced of the rightness of the pioneer,and proccupied, like the pioneer, with Indian fighting and treaty-making. Turner was the first to interpret the frontier in its rela-tion to general development. His thesis with its emphasis on thefrontier as the important factor in the development of democracyand of composite nationality has become classic. However, thatthesis needed enlargement and this it has found in the recent work.Not that Mr. Paxson depends entirely on the former work, butmore in the sense that he has begun with it and from there hasadvanced to some reinterpretation of the material, casting thewhole of it into more definitive form.The only criticism that could be made of the contents as faras the period covered is that one might question the limitation ofthe American frontier implied by the beginning date, 1763. Mr.Paxson writes: "The Ameriacn frontier takes shape in the finalyears of the century of colonial wars, and upon the return ofpeace starts upon the conquest of the continent. Its British ori-gins survive to mould its life, but its destiny and its spirit havebecome American." The question of the date for the beginning ofAmerican as contrasted with "British" in describing the frontieris debatable, of course. The greater part of the movement west·ward from 1680 to 1763, especially in New England, seems tohave been pushed by settlers who had before settled in America.However, the whole question is largely a matter of definition, andMr. Paxson's use of the terms has ample support if consideredfrom the more official point of view. This criticism applies onlyto the work when considered from the chronological and definitivepoint of view. \Vithin the era discussed, it is an accurate andreadable account with many references to the material in thefield. Critical comments on the books and articles referred to areespecially valuable and in fact, furnish the student with a compre-hensive, annotated bibliography.In addition, Mr. Paxson reinterprets portions of the fieldsuch as his discussion of the Indian policy, and summarizes prob-lems-such as the Burr conspiracy, in the light of recent research.It is refreshing to find a frank and unbiased treatment of the In-dian problem. "The best virtues of the whites led to Indian undo-ing, by destroying their livelihood and occupying their land." Mr.Paxson writes: "The vices of the whites were as outstanding asTales of a Western Mountaineer 153their virtues, and even more disastrous. In whiskey the frontierfarmer or trader had a cheap commodity for which the savagewould pay a high price. The furs that he had taken months tocollect would be traded for a song in whiskey. And after the In-dian was drunk, he would barter anything, or make his mark onany paper or treaty, and thus from the white standpoint dispossesshimself of everything else he had." In many other cases, Mr.Paxson reveals a salutary regard for facts that are often neglected,as the statement: "the Battle of Tippecanoe, doubtful victory thatit was * * * broke the rising tide of Indian consciousness", whereothers have considered it a real victory; he calls the war of 1812,the western war of 1812, where many neglect the tremendous im-portance of western causes for that war; he calls a good deal ofthe material on the Burr conspiracy "gossip" where most writershave named them facts. Not only that, Mr. Paxson makes someinteresting departures. His treatment of the period from 1800 to1828 is introduced by a chapter on political theory of the frontierwhich makes a good analysis of the effect of frontier life on poli-tical thought. He also discusses the effect of such environmenton contemporary habits of thought. For example, he writes:"The American worship of the self-made man has been foundedin this general knowledge that most Americans in the beginningwere self-made."The general spirit in which this history is written is at onceappreciative of the importance of the frontier with its epic qualityand yet remains critical, filled with analytical discussions of fron-tier attitudes. Because of this, Mr. Paxson's contribution fills areal need.EBBA DAHLIN.Tales of a W estern Mountaineer. By C. E. RusK. (Boston:Houghton, Mifflin Company, 1924, Pp. 309. $2.50.)The reputation of the author is much esteemed by membersof The Mountaineers. They have felt that he was especially fondof Glacier Peak and Mount Adams as he had been one of theearly explorers of those peaks. Those who read this well writtenand superbly illustrated (forty-one beautiful pictures) book willfind that he is partial to those fine mountains; but they will alsofind that he has abundant love for the other mountains.At the outset he says: "Mount Adams first came to methrough the medium of half-realized childhood impressions. It

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History of the American Frontier

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History of the American Frontier

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