Meeting of Frontiers Early pioneers of the American West were driven by a desire to conquer a continent and eventually reach the warmth of the Pacific Ocean. Stories of cattle-rustling and rustic life have long been romanticized in movies and fiction. But what about their expansionist counterparts to the east in Russia? These pioneers were faced with the arduous journey across vast steppes and Siberian tundra to reach the chilly Pacific. This bountiful archive, in both English and Russian, follows the parallel journeys of two cultures, trekking toward a better life. From absolution to agriculture, cossacks to cowboys, similarities abound. Although the unforgiving Bering Strait and frigid political barriers inhibited the meeting of two cultures, these groups shared a similar perspective and both left their stamp on Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. (in U.S. History)
