Description
Earl Pomeroy emphasizes the roles of cities and institutions in building the West—a stark contrast to the agrarian focus of Frederick Jackson Turner and Walter Prescott Webb. First published in 1965, The Pacific Slope remains a fundamental interpretation of the history of the American West. Rejecting what he sees as "romantic" history, Pomeroy has examined population movements and development patterns; the consequences of geography and climate; the vital role of the West’s cities (San Francisco, Portland, and others) in the financial, industrial, and commercial development of the region; the role of political parties and their various and changing agendas; and the impact of changes in the technologies of transportation. Pomeroy’s West is a complex and cosmopolitan region, closely linked to the rest of the nation and to the larger world, heavily dependent on its urban centers, synthesizing its diverse heritages on its own terms. New foreword by Elliott West.

Reviews
“First published in 1965 . . . The Pacific Slope holds its freshness and innovation as Pomeroy looks at the West, or what he calls the Far West, with an eye that focuses on urban growth, transportation and communications and the economic links that rapidly spurred the development of this very individualistic section of the country. It is a lucid history of the United States west of Salt Lake City, covering a period from 1830 to the mid 1960s.” —Pete Warzel, Southwest BookViews, Autumn 2003

“Pomeroy set out to draw the broad picture, a truly Herculean job of research and organization: and his experience, erudition, and literary skill and scholarship made him equal to it. He is able to show what historical forces made the West what it is today. . . . The author has a feel for the