Jews of the Wild West

From cowboys and gunslingers to entrepreneurs and artists, the colorful and largely overlooked contributions of Jews on the American frontier are revealed in this lively portrait. Escaping oppression and poverty, Jewish families joined other settlers in search of a better life. By the early 1900s, over 100,000 Jews put down roots in the Wild West, from Guggenheim and Levi Strauss who built their fortunes via grit and fortitude, to everyday merchants and cattlemen. A young Golda Meir spent formative years in Denver, and notorious Wyatt Earp, Bronco Bill and Pancho Villa had Jewish connections. Fascinating interviews and a trove of archival materials recall the legacy and pioneering spirit of those who definitively shaped westward expansion.