Blood in the Borderlands: Conflict, Kinship, and the Bent Family, 1821-1920

The Bents, a prominent family in the history of the American West, participated in many significant events that shaped the Rocky Mountains and Southern Plains from the 1820s to 1920. Their financial and political success was due to their marriages to women of influential borderland families, and they took up education, diplomacy, violence, entrepreneurship, and the writing of history to maintain their status and influence. David C. Beyreis' book "Blood in the Borderlands" provides an in-depth portrait of how the family adapted to difficult circumstances, incorporating new material about the women in the family and the "forgotten" Bents.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 01 May 2023
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

The Bents, a prominent and influential family in the history of the American West, played a significant role in shaping the Rocky Mountains and Southern Plains from the 1820s to the 1920s. Their remarkable journey encompassed a wide range of activities, including trapping beaver, navigating the Santa Fe Trail, intermarrying with powerful Indian tribes, governing territories, becoming Indian agents, fighting against the U.S. government, acquiring land grants, and creating historical narratives.

The Bents' financial and political success during the mid-nineteenth century was largely attributed to their strategic marriages with women from influential borderland families, including New Mexican and Southern Cheyenne. As territorial expansions threatened the West's oldest inhabitants and their relatives, the Bents adopted a range of strategies to maintain their status and influence. These strategies included education, diplomacy, violence, entrepreneurship, and the writing of history.

In his book "Blood in the Borderlands," David C. Beyreis offers a comprehensive portrait of the Bent family's remarkable adaptability in the face of challenging circumstances. He delves into new material about the women in the family and the "forgotten" Bents, highlighting how Indigenous power shaped their business and political strategies as they adjusted to American expansion and settler colonist ideologies. The Bent family history is a captivating tale of intercultural cooperation, horrific violence, and pragmatic adaptability in the face of expanding American power.

The Bents' legacy continues to be celebrated and studied today, as their contributions to the history of the American West are widely recognized. Their story serves as a reminder of the complex and multifaceted nature of the region's past and the enduring impact of the individuals who shaped it.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496234650