"The American West: Myth and Reality" - Michael Wallis

Michael Wallis is the author of The Real Wild West: The 101 Ranch and the Creation of the American West.
Wallis's lecture is part of Hillsdale College's CCA seminar on The American West. See more from this seminar at www.hillsdale.edu/live/cca-ii...
The history of the Old West, dating roughly from the beginning of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804 to the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890, was but the length of one long lifetime. The debate over how to understand America’s western expansion has already eclipsed it in time. This third CCA of the 2016-2017 academic year will consider both the history and the debate.
Learn more about Hillsdale College at www.hillsdale.edu/

[@ramzyboutros6318]

Mr. Wallis is an extraordinary storyteller. Thank you for this video.

[@farklefuster6876]

Fascinating stories. Had never heard of the Hundred and One Ranch. Whatta shame that it’s gone.

[@buckacre1348]

This is not a lecture. It is a fascinating story that instantly and completely grabbed my interest. Thank you.

[@truckingham3233]

I came here to here Sheriff's voice expecting to listen to it for a few minutes and be like "huh, neat" then continue on my way. Little did I know I'd spend the next hour and six minutes of my life immersed in this story. His voice is perfect for storytelling

[@KeplersKeep]

nice to rehear the stories... I grew up in AZ, went to college at NAU, worked as a bouncer in a country bar on Rte66 where the rail workers of I40 and the north-country cowboys would occasionally reach payday at the same time and it would be a great rowdy time. There still are legends living out there - some, perhaps, are still yet to be born. Anyway, to the question of the American West vs. Shakespeare and Greeks - not a bad comparison. The West endures because it is uniquely American - Frederick Turner's Frontier Thesis will explain it better than I could, but moving from colonies (wholly British) through the Mississippi basin into the West, and through the process of conquering and reconquering the chaotic jungle, turning it into the proverbial garden, honed an American conscience, and American ethic and explains both our story's endurance, but also why our heroes have always been cowboys... and bandits.

[@dougadoo1976]

OOOOOH how I love this story telling

[@micheletwilkinson-penningt6940]

this was so wonderful....

[@Mario87456]

All I can think of when I hear him is his only acting role as Sheriff from Cars since that’s how I was introduced to him I especially like how he always reprises his role in all his appearances but I guess that’s easy to do when you are mostly retired and Sherrif is your only acting role.

[@SirJoeCool]

I can listen to Michael Wallis talk all day. You could post a three hour video of him describing paint drying and I'd still tune.

[@mzk1489]

Sounds like a great and important topic. (I forgive him for Cars II.) And his voice..

[@nosystem1098]

Easily the best speaker thus far in this series of lectures.

[@sharonwhiteley6510]

We visited the Donner site in 1991. Just to find out the monument is located in the wrong spot. Mr. Wallis brings the west to life. We spent 3 yrs stationed near Tombstone (site of the gunfight at the OK corral). To this day, the town is divided if its was murder or self defense. Of course, one day on the news out of Tombstone was a guy on horseback given a ticket for no backup lights on his horse at night. He asked for a jury trial in a neighboring jurisdiction and acquitted.

[@brucevilla]

Thanks for Uploading.

[@kamilziemian995]

Fantastic talk, but when he read some stories english was to hard to me to fallow. Sadly not even 2 tausend view from a country with over 300 milions people and at lest one person watched it from Europe. Americans sometimes cannot appreciated true gems that right beside them.

[@kidsiek4012]

History is not boring and it speaks volumes that people are not encouraged to "read". God help us !!! we are supposed to educate through history and not through feelings...facts matter and stories tell it. thank you

[@ssoldie5490]

👍👍👍👍😁😁😁😁

[@thellreed3593]

Please. Get in touch with me. I did Gene Autrys last road. Show

[@JB-uv4hm]

A great story teller but he is no historian. Perfect content for Hillsdale.

[@danielwarton5343]

I am switching off, as it’s not really a lecture about the west a whole. It’s more of a bedtime recounting of memoirs.