James A. Crutchfield
James A. Crutchfield is the author of fifty books, including volumes on various aspects of American history, biography, and general interest subjects. He conceived and was lead editor of the two-volume encyclopedia The Settlement of America: Encyclopedia of Westward Expansion from Jamestown to the Closing of the Frontier. He is the 2011 recipient of the Western Writers of America (WWA) Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement in Western Literature and is in the Western Writers Hall of Fame. Over the years he has also received a Spur Award, three Stirrup Awards, and the Branding Iron Award from WWA, as well as two commendation awards from the American Association for State and Local History. He is a Tennessee native where he lives in Franklin
Latest from James A. Crutchfield
The American West: An Early California-Oregon Cattle Drive
Ewing Young and his men drove a herd of cattle into the Willamette Valley in 1837, providing a basis for the dairy and beef industries in Oregon. This cattle drive was an undertaking that would not occur on such a vast scale again until the late 1860s.
James A. CrutchfieldApril 12, 2025
The American West: Surveying the Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail is one of the most important thoroughfares in the history of the United States. In its relatively short lifetime as a highway of commerce, it linked the raw, brazen youth of American industry to the centuries-old marketplaces of New Mexico.
James A. CrutchfieldApril 07, 2025
The American West: When The Feds Unleashed Their Camels
In 1855, Congress, authorized “the importation of camels and dromedaries to be used for military purposes” and had earmarked $30,000 for the experiment. The Middle Eastern animals arrived at Matagorda Bay, while many stood in awe.
James A. CrutchfieldApril 03, 2025
The American West: Private Businessmen, Not The Government, First Launched Denver Mint
When Colorado’s gold miners filled their pockets with nuggets, it became evident they needed a better way to carry their wealth – the answer was the region’s first mint. Based in Denver, it got its start with private, not government owners.
James A. CrutchfieldMarch 30, 2025
The American West: Lieutenant Charles Wilkes and the United States Exploring Expedition
The mission of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was to encircle the globe and to document the scientific findings revealed on the journey. Its greatest contribution to the story of America’s westward expansion, however, was the map entitled “Mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon Territory, 1841.”
James A. CrutchfieldMarch 20, 2025
The American West: The Arikara Campaign Of 1823
As fur trader William Ashley and his two boatloads of men and supplies neared the Arikara villages in 1823 he had no way of determining whether the Indians would be friendly or not.
James A. CrutchfieldMarch 14, 2025
The American West: The Pleasant Valley War Erupts in Arizona
One of the most famous gunfights in the history of the Old West took less than one minute. It was only one battle in what would become known as the Pleasant Valley War.
James A. CrutchfieldMarch 08, 2025
The American West: The First Settlement Of Pueblo, Colorado
For many years, the first official, permanent settlement of today’s city of Pueblo, Colorado, has been credited to the noted mountain man, James P. Beckwourth. But Major Jacob Fowler may have been there twenty years earlier.
James A. CrutchfieldFebruary 27, 2025
The American West: Tracking Early Humans in Montana
The Anzick site excavation and aftermath should be a model of the cooperation that can exist between the scientific world and American Indians who want to preserve the reverence, respect, and solemnity for their ancient ancestors' remains.
James A. CrutchfieldFebruary 19, 2025
The American West: The Failed Texan - Santa Fe Expedition
The Republic of Texas’ grand scheme to tap the markets of New Mexico and reap huge profits from the trade between Cuba and Santa Fe by placing Texans in a “middleman” position failed miserably.
James A. CrutchfieldFebruary 13, 2025
The American West: American David Meriwether Taken Prisoner And Marched To Santa Fe
Anxious to make a trip to New Mexico to investigate stories of abundant gold there, David Meriwether headed West only to be captured by Spanish soldiers and marched to Santa Fe in 1820. When freed, he promised never to return—but he broke the promise thirty years later.
James A. CrutchfieldFebruary 09, 2025
The American West: Josiah Gregg - Documentarian of the Santa Fe Trail
Josiah Gregg, through the magic of the written word, brought the romance and mystery of the Santa Fe Trail to anyone who would take the time to read his wonderful book.
James A. CrutchfieldFebruary 07, 2025
The American West: Gateway To The West – St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri, the legendary “Gateway to the West,” has a long and important history in the story of America’s westward movement. Once owned by France and then by Spain, it it fell under the jurisdiction of the United States in 1803.
James A. CrutchfieldJanuary 09, 2025
The American West: A Tale of Two Fur Men
John Jacob Astor's employees experienced many adventures and opportunities in the wilderness of the great Northwest before Astor had to pull out of the Pacific fur trade altogether. Two of them, Ross Cox and Alexander Ross, left written accounts of their adventures.
James A. CrutchfieldJanuary 03, 2025
The American West: Statehood for Texas
Few issues in American history have generated more political controversy than the annexation of Texas. The decade following its independence from Mexico was filled with debate about the wisdom of allowing the new republic to enter the Union.
James A. CrutchfieldDecember 29, 2024
The American West: Chuck Wagons and Cattle Brands
Two enduring features of the heritage and lore of the American West are the development and use of the chuck wagon and the evolution and utilization of branding to denote ownership of cattle.
James A. CrutchfieldDecember 20, 2024
The American West: “Is Not This the Red River?”
Zebulon Pike, James Wilkinson, and the quest for the far southwest
James A. CrutchfieldDecember 14, 2024
The American West: Edward Curtis and His Legacy
Edward Curtis was convinced that he must photographically document the life and lifestyles of American Indians before they became more displaced and marginalized than they already were. With the enthusiasm of a zealot, he embarked on his monumental project.
James A. CrutchfieldDecember 07, 2024
The American West: Henry Rowe Schoolcraft And His Search For The Mississippi
Henry Schoolcraft mounted a small expedition to search for the headwaters of the Mississippi River, hoping to succeed where several explorers before him had failed. With additional orders to visit as many tribes as he could, he set out on a journey that would forever link his name with the river.
James A. CrutchfieldDecember 01, 2024
The American West: What Ever Happened to the Real Jeremiah Johnston?
So, with the help of their teacher, a group of 7th graders mounted a campaign to have Jeremiah Johnston’s remains moved from California to his old stomping grounds in Wyoming.
James A. CrutchfieldNovember 17, 2024
The American West: David Jackson - Entrepreneur of the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade
Jackson Hole is named for David E. Jackson, one of the most brilliant, yet elusive, players in the vast drama of the Rocky Mountain fur trade.
James A. CrutchfieldNovember 08, 2024