"In a style that is clear, unhurried and . . . vigorous, Francis P. Prucha has written a definitive study of [the] frontier army that was itself a pioneer. It pushed the line of occupation far beyond settlements. It raised crops, herded cattle, cut timber, quarried stone, built sawmills and performed the manifold duties of pioneers. It restrained lawless traders, pursued fugitives, ejected squatters, maintained order during peace negotiations and guarded Indians who came to receive annuities."--New York Times Book Review. "A work of original research which stands almost alone in relating the Army's work to the peaceful processes of territorial expansion and social development. Studying the thirteen army posts established in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and northern Illinois, the author demonstrates their importance for Indian and land policy administration, as cash markets for the early settlers, and as centers of exploration, road-building, and cultural developments."--A Guide to the Study of the United States of America. "Well-written. . . . a significant contribution to the study of . . . both the westward movement and our military establishment."--Mississippi Valley Historical Review. Known for his books about American Indian government policy and the frontier army, Francis Paul Prucha, S.J., is an emeritus professor of history at Marquette University. Introducing this edition is Edward M. Coffman, a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the author of The Old Army: A Portrait of the American Army in Peacetime, 1784?1898.

Engineering Expansion examines the U.S. Army's role in U.S. economic development from the nation's founding to the eve of the Civil War. William D. Adler starts with a simple question: if the federal government was weak in its early years, how could the economy and the nation have grown so rapidly? Adler answers this question by focusing on the strongest part of the early American state, the U.S. Army. The Army shaped the American economy through its coercive actions in conquering territory, expanding the nation's borders, and maintaining public order and the rule of law. It built roads, bridges, and railroads while Army engineers and ordnance officers developed new technologies, constructed forts that encouraged western settlement and nurtured nascent communities, cleared rivers, and created manufacturing innovations that spread throughout the private sector. Politicians fought for control of the Army, but War Department bureaucracies also contributed to their own development by shaping the preferences of elected officials. Engineering Expansion synthesizes a wide range of historical material and will be of interest to those interested in early America, military history, and politics in the early United States.

Offers insight into the lesser-known complexities of the general's personality, in a biography based on his unpublished personal correspondence and covering such topics as his early years, relationships with family and slaves, and thoughts on military str

A reassessment of the military's role in developing the Western territories moves beyond combat stories and stereotypes to focus on more non-martial accomplishments such as exploration, gathering scientific data, and building towns.