The Bourgeois Frontier: French Towns, French Traders, and American Expansion (The Lamar Series in Western History)

The Bourgeois Frontier is a groundbreaking book that sheds new light on the history of the American West.

By focusing on the French connection, Jay Gitlin reveals how French traders and their families played a crucial role in shaping the region's expansion.

Through their strategy of "middle grounding," they formed alliances with Indian and Mexican communities, invested in land and transportation, and created thriving towns such as New Orleans, St.

Louis, and Detroit.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex history of the American West and the role that France played in its development.