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Primary sourceBook1889–1896

The Winning of the West

Theodore Roosevelt · 1889–1896

A four-volume history of the American frontier written by Theodore Roosevelt, tracing westward expansion in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Roosevelt wrote this multi-volume history, expressing the frontier ideals and racial views that shaped his later politics.

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Front cover of the Sagamore Series edition of The Winning of the West, Part I, by Theodore Roosevelt. Title in large brown letters with a sepia portrait of a mustached man in a dark suit. Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London.
Theodore Roosevelt, The Winning of the West, 1889–1896. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London.

About this source

What it is

This is The Winning of the West, a four-volume narrative history written by Theodore Roosevelt between 1889 and 1896. It covers the spread of English-speaking settlers across the American frontier, including conflicts with Native nations, from the 1760s into the early 1800s.

Why it matters

The book reveals how Roosevelt saw American history as a story of expansion led by settlers he admired as strong and self-reliant. It shows the racial and nationalist thinking that later shaped his views on American power abroad. The dedication to historian Francis Parkman shows Roosevelt placing himself within a tradition of frontier histories popular in his era.

Look closer

  • Who gets to be the hero of this story, and who is left out or cast as an obstacle?
  • Why might a future president choose to write a history of frontier expansion?
  • How does the cover portrait of Roosevelt connect the author to the subject?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Theodore Roosevelt on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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