Frontier Women: "Civilizing" the West? 1840-1880

I had the pleasure of being taught by Julie Jeffrey as an undergraduate student at Goucher College. She taught me to look at American history from many different angles, especially the view of the "bit players" in history, those unsung, unrecognized men and women whose impact was as significant as those of the "main cast", just not nearly as well documented. "Civilizing" the West 1840-1880 is a great example of Professor Jeffrey's ability to uncover the contributions of women -from all walks of life- that helped shape the American West. Meticulously researched and written, I found the book had an easy flow and makes a compelling read. An excellent book in a genre usually dominated by the biographies of larger-than-life personalities.