The West
A triumph of the human spirit, the transcontinental railroad opens a new era in the West, carrying homesteaders onto the prairies, bringing cowboys up the cattle trail from Texas, helping give women the vote in Utah and sending buffalo hunters onto the plains, where they drive a symbol of the West -- and a way of life -- to the brink of extinction.
As the 20th century neared, Americans celebrated with the World Columbian Exposition.
As settlers race to claim tribal lands, Native Americans take up the Ghost Dance.
Newcomers arrive by the millions, bringing a spirit of conformity to the West.
