Explores various details of the social life and customs of pioneers in the American West, covering topics such as the California gold rush, the Homestead Act of 1862, and struggles between early settlers and Native Americans, with illustrations, a timeline, and statistics.

A land of hope : why did so many people choose to move west? -- A place for all people : what were western communities like? -- The big truth! : cowboys and cattle ranches : what jobs did cowboys have to do? -- Life on the frontier : what kinds of chores did pioneer children do? -- Tough times on the prairie : what made life so hard in the early West? -- The impact of the pioneers : how did the pioneers change the land?