Episode 07: H.W. Brands - A History of the American West

H.W. Brands is a professor at UT-Austin, a historian, an author of more than 30 books, and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. During our conversation, H.W. talks about his book "Dreams of El Dorado," which details the exploration and settlement of the American West.------------Support this podcast via VenmoSupport this podcast via PayPalSupport this podcast on Patreon------------Show notesLeave a rating on SpotifyLeave a rating on Apple PodcastsFollow Keep Talking on Twitter, Instagram, and FacebookListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube------------(01:19) Brands explains the context of his book Dreams of El Dorado(03:18) What inspired Brands to write about the history of the American West(07:37) The general public impression about the Louisiana purchase back in 1803(13:55) Description of the Great Plains in the Lewis and Clark journal(17:00) The beginning of the Oregon Trail and the overall objective of the people who traveled to the West(22:25) The challenges in heading to the Oregon territory - get there in one piece, find a plot of ground to farm, find better health, and the best-case scenario(26:15) Why is Texas key to Brands’ life and his writings?(35:22) What changed HW Brands’ perception of the country as he learned its history(40:10) Brands’ thoughts on penning another book on the history of Western America