The Year of Decision: 1846

The Year of Decision: 1846 chronicles a pivotal year in American expansion and manifest destiny through multiple interconnected narratives. DeVoto tracks the movements of settlers heading west, military campaigns in Mexico, and political developments in Washington DC. The book follows several key groups and individuals, including migrants on the Oregon Trail, Mormon pioneers heading to Utah, and military forces under Zachary Taylor. Through primary sources and historical records, DeVoto reconstructs their parallel journeys and decisions that shaped the American continent. Major historical events serve as anchor points, from the Mexican-American War to the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain. The narrative maintains focus on both high-level political maneuvering and ground-level experiences of ordinary citizens. The text examines how individual choices and circumstances combined to create massive historical change, revealing the complex interplay between policy decisions and human determination on the American frontier.

Readers commend DeVoto's thorough research and his ability to weave multiple historical threads from 1846 into a cohesive narrative. Many highlight his coverage of the Mexican War, Mormon migration, and Oregon Trail settlement. Likes: - Clear explanations of complex political situations - Rich details about daily frontier life - Engaging writing style that reads like a novel - Maps and historical context help readers follow events Dislikes: - Dense prose requires focused reading - Some find the multiple storylines hard to follow - A few readers note dated language and attitudes from its 1942 publication - Limited coverage of Native American perspectives Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (238 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (89 ratings) Notable reader comments: "DeVoto brings 1846 to life through personal letters and journals" - Goodreads reviewer "The interconnected narratives require concentration but reward careful reading" - Amazon reviewer "Would benefit from updated historical perspectives" - LibraryThing review

Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides This chronicle of Kit Carson and the American conquest of the Southwest covers the same period as DeVoto's work and illuminates the complex interactions between Native Americans, Mexicans, and American expansionists.

What Hath God Wrought by Daniel Walker Howe This comprehensive examination of America from 1815-1848 places the events of 1846 in broader context through analysis of technological, political, and social transformations.

The War of 1846 by David A. Clary This military history focuses on the Mexican-American War and its participants, expanding on DeVoto's coverage of this pivotal conflict.

Empire Express by David Haward Bain This history of the transcontinental railroad construction connects to DeVoto's themes of westward expansion and national transformation through details of the railway's planning, which began in the 1840s.

Manifest Destiny by Anders Stephanson This examination of American expansionist ideology provides deeper context for the political and cultural forces that drove the events DeVoto describes in 1846.

🌟 Bernard DeVoto won a Pulitzer Prize in 1948 for "Across the Wide Missouri," another book in his trilogy about the American West 🌟 1846 saw three major historical events converge: the Mexican-American War, the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain, and the tragic Donner Party expedition 🌟 The book was written during World War II, and DeVoto drew parallels between America's 1846 expansion and the global conflict of his own time 🌟 DeVoto spent over a decade working as the editor of the "Easy Chair" column in Harper's Magazine while writing his historical works 🌟 Though published in 1943, the book remains significant as one of the first comprehensive accounts to connect the various Western expansion events of 1846 into a single narrative