The Red River's dramatic bend in southwestern Arkansas is the most distinctive characteristic along its 1,300 miles of eastern flow through plains, prairies and swamplands. This stretch of river valley has defined the culture, commerce and history of the region since the prehistoric days of the Caddo inhabitants. Centuries later, as the plantation South gave way to westward expansion, people found refuge and adventure along the area's trading paths, military roads, riverbanks, rail lines a...

Originally known as Holford�s Prairie, Lewisville�s name is not the only thing that has changed about this town in its long history. Settlers sponsored by the Peters Colony Company founded the small community in the 1840s. In the ensuing years, the settlement, renamed to Lewisville by Basdeal W. Lewis in 1856, consistently grew and prospered until its incorporation in 1925. Cotton farming and ginning, the arrival of the Dallas and Wichita Railroad in 1881, the expansion of Lake Dallas into...

This self-study Exam preparation guide and its accompanying online course for the Computer security Certification Exam contains everything you need to test yourself and pass the Exam. All Exam topics are covered and insider secrets, complete explanations of all Computer security subjects, test tricks and tips, numerous highly realistic sample questions, and exercises designed to strengthen understanding of Computer security concepts and prepare you for Exam success on the first attempt are...

"[A] wonderfully entertaining account of an often-overlooked oddity of America's history: how the jigsaw-puzzle layout of the United States emerged." —VogueThe New York Times BestsellerWhy does Oklahoma have that panhandle? Did someone make a mistake?We are so familiar with the map of the United States that our state borders seem as much a part of nature as mountains and rivers. Even the oddities—the entire state of Maryland(!...

A fascinating and atmospheric history of the transcontinental railroad—the nineteenth century’s greatest and most relentless feat of national expansionHear that Lonesome Whistle Blow unspools the history of the beginnings of the American railroad system. By the mid-nineteenth century, settlers in Missouri and California were separated by a vast landscape that dwarfed and isolated them, conquerable only by “the demonic power of the Iron Horse and its bands ...

The surprising story of how Thomas Jefferson commanded an unrivaled age of American exploration—and in presiding over that era of discovery, forged a great nation.At the dawn of the nineteenth century, as Britain, France, Spain, and the United States all jockeyed for control of the vast expanses west of the Mississippi River, the stakes for American expansion were incalculably high. Even after the American purchase of the Louisiana Territory, Spain still coveted th...

A Seattle Times selection for one of Best Non-Fiction Books of 2010Winner of the New England Historial Association's 2010 James P. Hanlan AwardWinner of the Outdoor Writers Association of America 2011 Excellence in Craft Award, Book Division, First Place"A compelling and well-annotated tale of greed, slaughter and geopolitics." —Los Angeles TimesAs Henry Hudson sailed up the broad river that would one day bear his name, he grew concerned that...

**New York Times BestsellerThe epic account of how one narrow ribbon of water forever changed the course of American history.**The history of the Erie Canal is a riveting story of American ingenuity. A great project that Thomas Jefferson judged to be “little short of madness,” and that others compared with going to the moon, soon turned into one of the most successful and influential public investments in American history.In Wedding of the Waters, ...

George Washington's place in the foundations of the Republic remains unrivalled. His life story--from his beginnings as a surveyor and farmer, to colonial soldier in the Virginia Regiment, leader of the Patriot cause, commander of the Continental Army, and finally first president of the United States--reflects the narrative of the nation he guided into existence. There is, rightfully, no more chronicled figure. Yet American history has largely forgotten what Washington himself knew clearly...

Recommended by the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy as an exemplary informational text. Beginning with George Washington's inauguration and continuing into the nineteenth century, The New Nation tells the story of the remarkable challenges that the freshly formed United States faced. Thomas Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana Territories (bought from France at a mere four cents an acre!), Lewis and Clark's daring expedition through this ...

The fascinating story of how and why all fifty American states were formed—and how they became a part of history's greatest social experiment.Every US state has a unique history that deserves a separate book. The Creation of the American States provides readers with essential information on how each of the fifty states came into being. From the time of the first explorers and settlers to the present day, A. Ward Burian tells the story of how the ...

After the Civil War, the building of the transcontinental railroad was the nineteenth century's most transformative event. Beginning in 1842 with a visionary's dream to span the continent with twin bands of iron, Empire Express captures three dramatic decades in which the United States effectively doubled in size, fought three wars, and began to discover a new national identity. From self--made entrepreneurs such as the Union Pacific's Thomas Durant and er...