A History of the American Frontier

The history of the American frontier involves more than just cowboys. If there's a red thread to all the stories of settling the American West, it might just be the dreams of El Dorado, no matter if you're a preacher, a politician, or a miner. But, it's fascinating that people expected to fail before they succeeded out West, which might be why Silicon Valley sprang up in the Bay Area and not Boston. Guest: H.W. Brands, Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History, University of Texas at Austin, and author of "Dreams of El Dorado: A History of the American West"