Finding a New Midwestern History

In comparison to such regions as the South, the far West, and New England, the Midwest and its culture have been neglected both by scholars and by the popular press. Historians as well as literary and art critics tend not to examine the Midwest in depth in their academic work. And in the popular imagination, the Midwest has never really ascended to the level of the proud, literary South; the cultured, democratic Northeast; or the hip, innovative West Coast. Finding a New Midwestern History revives and identifies anew the Midwest as a field of study by promoting a diversity of viewpoints and lending legitimacy to a more in-depth, rigorous scholarly assessment of a large region of the United States that has largely been overlooked by scholars. The essays discuss facets of midwestern life worth examining more deeply, including history, religion, geography, art, race, culture, and politics, and are written by well-known scholars in the field such as Michael Allen, Jon Butler, and Nicole Etcheson. ; From publisher's description Introduction: Toward A New Midwestern History / Jon K. Lauck, Joe Hogan, And Gleaves Whitney -- The Birth Of The Midwest And The Rise Of Regional Theory / Michael C. Steiner -- How Nature And Culture Shaped Early Settlement In The Midwest / James E. Davis -- First Cousins: The Civil War’s Impact On Midwestern Identity / Nicole Etcheson -- Native Americans And Midwestern History / Susan E. Gray -- American And European Immigrant Groups In The Midwest By The Mid-nineteenth Century / Gregory S. Rose -- Civic Life In A Midwestern Community / Paula M. Nelson -- Politics In The Promised Land: How The Great Migration Shaped The American Midwest / Jeffrey Helgeson -- Midwestern Small Towns / John E. Miller -- The Agrarian Midwest: A Geographic Analysis / Christopher R. Laingen -- The Role Of Sports In The Midwest / David R. Mcmahon -- The View From The River: Another Perspective On Midwestern History / Michael Allen -- The Midwest’s Spiritual Landscapes / Jon Butler -- The Development Of Midwestern Cities / Jon Teaford -- Of Murals And Mirrors: Midwest Regionalism Then And Now / Zachary Michael Jack -- Midwestern Intellectuals / James Seaton -- Midwestern Musicians / James P. Leary -- Midwestern Writers: The Fourth Wave / David Pichaske -- The Upper Midwest As The Second Promised Land / Gleaves Whitney -- Growing Up Midwestern / Pamela Riney-kehrberg -- The Best Of Babbitt: The Midwestern Vision Of Arthur Vandenberg / Hank Meijer -- Of Conformity And Cosmopolitanism: Midwestern Identity Since World War Ii / J. L. Anderson. Edited And With An Introduction By Jon K. Lauck, Gleaves Whitney, And Joseph Hogan. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In comparison to such regions as the South, the far West, and New England, the Midwest and its culture have been neglected both by scholars and by the popular press. Historians as well as literary and art critics tend not to examine the Midwest in depth in their academic work. And in the popular imagination, the Midwest has never really ascended to the level of the proud, literary South; the cultured, democratic Northeast; or the hip, innovative West Coast. 0Finding a New Midwestern History revives and identifies anew the Midwest as a field of study by promoting a diversity of viewpoints and lending legitimacy to a more in-depth, rigorous scholarly assessment of a large region of the United States that has largely been overlooked by scholars. The essays discuss facets of midwestern life worth examining more deeply, including history, religion, geography, art, race, culture, and politics, and are written by well-known scholars in the field such as Michael Allen, Jon Butler, and Nicole Etcheson Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of Illustrations Introduction Part 1 1. The Birth of the Midwest and the Rise of Regional Theory 2. How Nature and Culture Shaped Early Settlement in the Midwest 3. First Cousins Part 2 4. Native Americans and Midwestern History 5. American and European Immigrant Groups in the Midwest by the Mid-Nineteenth Century 6. Civic Life in a Midwestern Community 7. Politics in the Promised Land Part 3 8. Midwestern Small Towns 9. The Agrarian Midwest 10. The Role of Sports in the Midwest Part 4 11. The View from the River 12. The Midwest’s Spiritual Landscapes 13. The Development of Midwestern Cities Part 5 14. Of Murals and Mirrors 15. Midwestern Intellectuals 16. Midwestern Musicians 17. Midwestern Writers Part 6 18. The Upper Midwest as the Second Promised Land 19. Growing Up Midwestern 20. The Best of Babbitt 21. Of Conformity and Cosmopolitanism List of Contributors Index This collection of essays revives and identifies anew the neglected study of the U.S. Midwest by promoting a diversity of viewpoints on midwestern history and culture.