When Bernard DeVoto's work first came out, less than a century had passed since the remarkable year 1846.
Year of Decision 1846 tells many fascinating stories of the U.S. explorers who began the western march from the
Mississippi to the Pacific, from Canada to the
annexation of Texas, California, and the southwest lands from Mexico. It is the middle book of a trilogy which includes
Across the Wide Missouri (for which DeVoto won both the
Pulitzer and Bancroft prizes) and
The Course of Empire. DeVoto's narrative covers the expanding Western frontier, the Mormons, the Donner party,
Fremont's exploration, the Army of the West, and takes readers into Native American tribal life.
Background Information
Along with the Missouri, the Mississippi forms the longest river system in the world and ultimately drains almost all of the central United States. After Texas gained independence, its annexation to the United States created diplomatic problems with Mexico and internal controversy over slavery. John C. Fremont was an explorer of the American West and the first Republican nominee for president in 1856. Joseph Pulitzer, who immigrated from Hungary and built a newspaper empire, established through a bequest the journalism awards which still today bear his name.
