What is ‘the West’? Cowboys riding into the sunset? Sweeping plains of sagebrush and snow-topped mountains stretching for miles? Surfers and big cities along the coast?
The answer to all of these questions is yes. However, the stories of the West that capture our imaginations are often born of myth and perpetuated by collective imaginings and re-imaginings. Through our course on the American West and our initiatives, the Bill Lane Center strives to understand the complicated history of this region and spearhead the conversations about the unique challenges it faces. To begin our conversation, we must first answer a simple question: Where does the West begin and what does it constitute?
Defining the West
What is the West? Learn about interpretations of a vast region that encompasses 11 U.S. states and reaches across Canada and Mexico.
Issues of the West
The Center is a nexus of scholarship, research, and journalism on important topics of the West. Watch for reports, multimedia, data, and other resources on issues from public lands ownership and tribal sovereignty to rural western life.