Montana History

The Montana region has long been inhabited by Native American people: pictographs in caves dating back 2,100 years have been found. The Native American peoples included the Crow in the South, the Cheyenne in the Southeast, the Assiniboine and Gros Ventres in central and northern areas, and the Kootenai and Salish in the West.

Most of present day Montana falls within the former French colony of New France. This region was acquired from France, by the United States in 1803, in the Louisiana Purchase.

Territorial expansion of the United States (Louisiana Purchase show in white)

Territorial expansion of the United States (Louisiana Purchase show in white)

The new territory acquired by the United States was largely unexplored. This was rectified by Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804 to 1806). Lewis and Clark surveyed the Indian tribes, botany, geology and wildlife of the area, as well as looking for signs of possible interference from British or French Canadian hunters.

Gold and copper were found in the area in 1850s, and in 1864, Montana became a United States Territory. In the late 1860s, US government established three forts in the territory: Fort Shaw, Camp Cooke and Fort C. F. Smith. Montana was the scene of the Native Americans' last effort to keep their land, and the last stand Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer (at Little Big Horn in 1867). Sheer weight of numbers made the Native Americans' defeat inevitable, and in 1877 Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, formally surrendered.

Montana was admitted as the 41st state of the Union on November 8th 1889. The Homestead Act (1862), the Reclamation Act (1902), and the revised Homestead Act (1912) all brought European settlers to the region, greatly expanding the state's population.

Roadside History of Montana (Roadside History Series) (Roadside History Series)

By Donald E. Spritzer

Mountain Press Publishing Company
Released: 1999-05-01
Paperback (432 pages)

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Roadside History of Montana goes well beyond cowboy stories to tell of the struggles of dryland farmers, the rowdy antics of mining-town denizens, and the heroism of smoke jumpers and park rangers. Author Don Spritzer's love of Montana in all its diversity shines through in each vignette as he introduces readers to Montana's independent, adventurous, and often eccentric people. Readers will learn surprising facts about the Treasure State's past and meet its most fascinating people, from the copper kings of Butte to the Freemen of Garfield County. Dividing the state into six geographical-historical areas, Roadside History of Montana follows main highways to reveal the stories hidden within the vast Montana landscape, delighting readers with lively anecdotes along the way. Spritzer speaks of each little town and crossroad with the intimacy of someone who's been there--and indeed he has. Accentuating the text are 170 historical photographs and numerous maps.

Montana: A History of Two Centuries

By Michael P. Malone & William L. Lang

University of Washington Press
Paperback (466 pages)

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Montana: A History Of Two Centuries first appeared in 1976 and immediately became the standard work in its field. Fully twenty percent of the text is new or revised, incorporating the results of new research and new interpretations dealing with pre-history, Native American studies, oral history, and recent political history. In addition, the bibliography has been updated and greatly expanded, new maps have been drawn, and new photographs have been selected.

My Montana: A History and Memoir, 1930-1950

By Jewel Beck Lansing

Inkwater Press
Paperback (300 pages)

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Those of us growing up in the 1930-1950 era will appreciate Jewel Beck Lansing's experiences as related in My Montana: A History and Memoir, 1930-1950. You needn't have grown up in rural Montana to appreciate them either - many western and mid-west farms and ranches shared the same lifestyle. No running water, no electricity except by generator; hand-cranked wall telephones and party lines; water wells that needed priming before pumping, country dances. And those WWII years of food/gasoline/rubber/shoe rationing; the theoretical 35 mph national speed limit; collecting magazines, papers, tinfoil, metal for the war effort; candy bar shortages; young men leaving for the armed forces, some never to return. Difficult days? Yes, but the challenges were met with ingenuity, cooperation, camaraderie and humor.

Helena (Postcard History: Montana)

By Tom Mulvaney

Arcadia Publishing
Released: 2008-12-01
Paperback (128 pages)

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Helena began in 1864 as a mining camp with the discovery of gold along Last Chance Gulch (soon to become Helena’s main street). In 1875, Helena became the territorial capital of Montana, and in 1894 it outpolled Anaconda in a statewide election to become the permanent state capital. Postcard images captured many of Helena’s landmarks and events over the past century, including the magnificent Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium, pre-urban-renewal Main Street, and the ravages of the 1935 earthquake. This book features postcard images of the Helena area, the majority of which have never been published in book or magazine form.

More Montana Campfire Tales: Fifteen Historical Narratives

By David Walter Farcountry Press Paperback (263 pages)	List Price: $14.95 Lowest New Price: $9.95 Lowest Used Price: $3.49 Usually ships in 24 hours (As of 17:27 Pacific 3 Dec 2008 More Info) Click Here
Product Description: Montana history at its wildest and most intriguing. These 15 stories--illustrated with historical photographs--flash with humor, action, indignation, amazement, and admiration for what some Montanans (and visitors) added to the state's story.

Montana Legacy: Essays on History, People, and Place

By Harry Fritz

Montana Historical Society Press
Paperback (320 pages)

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A rich and varied tapestry, Montana Legacy looks at the people, cultures, places, and events that shaped present-day Montana from Plentywood to Butte, Great Falls to Virginia City, and Billings to Browning. Designed to make readers think about Montana history in a new way, this anthology features 16 essays chosen for their relevance, readability, and scholarship.
The volume's editors--all well-known Montana historians--carefully selected topics, from the fur trade to power deregulation, that range across two centuries and expose Montana's cultural and geographical diversity.

The History of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana, 1800-2000

By David Miller, Joseph R. McGeshick & Caleb Shields

Montana Historical Society Press
Paperback (500 pages)

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The first comprehensive history of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, commissioned by the tribes themselves, The History of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, 1800–2000 is an authoritative scholarly exploration of the struggles and triumphs of the Native Americans who were relegated by the federal government to a small portion of northeast Montana in the late 1880s. Written by five scholars of Native American studies, many of whom are native themselves, the narrative tracks the tribes from pre-contact with whites through the brutal early reservation period, two world wars, the turbulent 1960s, and into the twenty-first century. Drawn mostly from primary sources, including federal archives and private materials, The History of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, 1800–2000 is a benchmark in the publication of tribal histories with a native point of view.

Co-published with the Fort Peck Tribes.

The Montana Book of Days: The Short Course in Montana History

By Jeffrey J. Smith

Historic Montana Publishing
Paperback

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Many Montana stories have been elevated to the status of myths, black hats vs. white hats, good vs. evil, reluctant male heroes asseting themselves against all odds, etc. They make good movies and comic books, perhaps, but THE MONTANA BOOK OF DAYS reexamines these stories of vigilantes and cavalrymen, Copper Kinds and cowboys, buffalo exterminators old and new. There is one story for every day of the year, in most cases a Montana history story that occurred on that day. THE MONTANA BOOK OF DAYS tells the unexpected twists and turns of the old stories. It tells stories people have not heard, of Montanans we have overlooked.

A history of a Montana summer theater

By Frederick K Miller

F.K. Miller
Unknown Binding (228 pages)

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Golden Opportunities: A Biographical History of Montana's Jewish Communities

By Julie L. Coleman

J.L. Coleman
Paperback (120 pages)

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