Women moved from civilization to the frontier encumbered by more than baggage. They also had to overcome literary and social stereotypes. We learn their views on wilderness, Indians, race, and religion as well as how they reacted to the daily challenges of keeping house, raising a family, and gaining a measure of equality. "A strikingly original, highly readable, and informative history that will be used by scholars and lay readers alike."—Howard Lamar, from the Foreword