The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History

by Carlos Arnaldo Schwantes

Carlos Arnaldo Schwantes has revised and expanded the entire work, which is still the most comprehensive and balanced history of the region. This edition contains significant additional material on early mining in the Pacific Northwest, sea routes to Oregon in the early discovery and contact period, the environment of the region, the impact of the Klondike gold rush, and politics since 1945. Recent environmental controversies, such as endangered salmon runs and the spotted owl dispute, have been addressed, as has the effect of the Cold War on the region's economy. The author has also expanded discussion of the roles of women and minorities and updated statistical information.

Carlos Arnaldo Schwantes is a professor in the Department of History, and director of the Institute for Pacific Northwest Study, at the University of Idaho. He is the author of a number of books, including "Hard Traveling: A Portrait of Work Life in the New Northwest" (Nebraska 1995).

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History

426 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1989

Reviews

[Stephen Pinna]

This book is a good introduction to the history of three states considered to comprise the "Pacific Northwest" in the US - Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.

The author tries to give a broad and fair portrait of the area and he succeeds. However, the book often sticks to describing what happened as opposed to trying to explain it, when it attempts the latter it is often a very surface level analysis. Yet for a general history, it does a good job. Trying to describe the political economic history of the region with a focus on what drives the currents would have doubled the size of this book.

For those looking to learn the basic history of the area, this is a great place to start!

[Sara Parker]

While this book is interesting and informative, it only shows the history of the Northwest from the very narrow scope of the colonial, white man. There are little antidotal stories of BIPOC people, but it really misses the mark and unfairly under-represents these communities and voices.

[Dave Beeman]

If your not a big fan of the Pacific Northwest because you don't know that much about it, read this book. While it is, in my opinion, a little short on the early history (Lewis and Clark, Capt George Vancouver, et. al) it gives you just enough to set the table for the rest of the book. The trappers and mountain men, the Oregon trail, natural resource extraction (mostly trees, salmpn and silver) the politics of wobblies and Progressives,, the fights over the environment (remember the spotted owl) are all covered in an easy to read format. If you want to learn something about the great Pacific Northwest this is good place to start.

[Reader]

This book does a good job describing the context that led to the historical development of the Pacific Northwest. It does not as much go into contemporary or economic contexts but that would force the book to go much deeper. Besides a surface level overview it does give a very good summary of the periods of history in the region and is a good read for beginners.

[Cassidy]

Better to read than a textbook for sure. Super interesting history about where I'm from. Had trouble remembering a lot of the details because sooo much information was packed into one chapter instead of like a story style.

[Travis Zalesky]

Interesting historical anticdotes peppered throughout dry, heady, naritive.

[Chris Bartholet]

A great overview of the region, but Native American content from this is sorely lacking. Barely any mention of the Fish Wars of Native American activism in the region.

[Elizabeth Gunn]

Read this for school. I actually really enjoyed the writing style and learned a ton, but wow were some of these chapters quite uninteresting. A great resource for Pacific Northwest history though, just not something I would pick up leisurely.

[Cat]

Bought in Portland, read it during my week long visit to the Northwest. As a resident of California who has visited Washington (Seattle), Oregon (Portland, Bend) and Idaho (Boise, Sun Valley), I decided to get this book because it treats the three states as a region. I figured it would be more efficient then reading seperate histories of the three states. I wasn't dissapointed.

Schwanter does a good job differentiating the three states while at the same time making the case for the area's treatment as a region. Most of the writing is workmanlike. Rarely did I find myself transported to a different time and place.

The most interesting sections were the early settlement of Oregon and the section dealing with the politics of Oregon in the twentieth century.

Good introduction to the history of the area, but it didn't compel me to do any follow up reading. Kind of seems like a community college text book at times.

[Elisabeth]

Fairly interesting, considering it's written as a textbook. I'm more than a little disappointed in some generalizations and assumptions that the author has made, such as the remark about how families moved to Oregon, and single, uneducated men went to California for the gold rush (see Brian Roberts' "American Alchemy"). And more than once Schwantes seems so enchanted with the land and in love with the Pacific Northwest that he can't detach himself from his own awe.

I would definitely suggest that if you're interested in something Schwantes writes about in this book, go find some more sources on the topic before taking his word for it.

[Tony]

easy to read and quite approachable, this book offers a general history of the Pacific Northwest that isn't bogged down by overly detailed accounts. A great book for general history of the region - mostly specific to WA, OR, and ID - which has some of the more interesting historical stories of the NW.

[Heidi Ennis]

Pretty well put together book of Pacific Northwest History. Four stars because I felt that Native history was lacking. But overall, well done. I will be using this while teaching Washington State History next year.

[Lucky7's]

I am reading this slowly and surely to get to know the area a bit.

[Tracy]

Great overall history of the PNW

[Jessica]

Well written as a general overview of PNW (WA,OR,ID) history, seems very comprehensive. Has a few spotlights on specific people and those are more in-depth and enjoyable.

[Jingle]

This is a good book for those who want an overview of the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Idaho, Washington).

[Adam]

great historical primer but shouldn't be a stand alone text. not enough about the people and place.

[Lettie Laferriere]

Read this for a class at WSU.