The intention of this study is to demonstrate not only that women did play highly significant and multifaceted roles in the development of the American West but also that their lives as settlers displayed fairly consistent patterns which transcended geographic sections of the frontier.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-281) and index.

The female frontier : definitions, interpretations, and images -- A profile of frontierswomen on the prairie and the Plains -- Home and hearth on the prairie -- Home and hearth on the Plains -- Employment and income production on the prairie -- Employment and income production on the Plains -- Community participation on the prairie -- Community participation on the Plains -- The female frontier on the prairie and on the Plains.