How a single crop shaped a nation—and the path of its people across a vast continent.
The Story of Corn and the Westward Migration explains how Indian corn helped feed settlers, powered cities, and spurred routes, reforms, and technology across the United States. This nonfiction narrative blends geography, history, and economics to show why corn mattered beyond the dinner table.
In clear, student-friendly chapters, you’ll see how corn underpinned early diets, fueled expansion, and connected the East with the West. The book traces the move from farms to markets, and from rivers to railways, revealing how a new world grain reshaped politics, trade, and everyday life.
- How corn influenced civilizations, economies, and national growth.
- Myths and stories about food plants that shaped cultures and beliefs.
- The rise of internal improvements, canals, steamboats, and railroads driven by a hungry nation.
- The West’s transformation into a granary and how Chicago became a world food market.
Ideal for readers of history, geography, and social studies who want a grounded look at how a single crop tied together people, places, and progress.