description Buffalo Wagons Overview
Buffalo Wagons is a Western novel by Texas writer Elmer Kelton, first published in 1956 and later reissued in 1984. The book is set against the commercial bison hunts of the 1870s, when organized hunters supplied hides and meat markets while the destruction of the herds transformed the economies and landscapes of the Great Plains. It is frontier fiction rooted in the history of the American West.
help Buffalo Wagons FAQ
Who wrote Buffalo Wagons?
Buffalo Wagons was written by Texas author Elmer Kelton. It was first published in 1956 and later reissued in 1984.
What historical period does Buffalo Wagons cover?
The novel is set during the commercial bison hunts of the 1870s. Organized hunters supplied hides and meat markets while the destruction of the herds changed the Great Plains.
Is Buffalo Wagons about buffalo hunting or homesteading?
Its central historical backdrop is the commercial slaughter of bison for hides and meat. The story explores how that market affected people and the rapidly changing frontier.
Why are the buffalo hunts important to the novel?
The hunts are not just scenery because they drive the economic and environmental conflict of the story. The destruction of the herds represents a major change in the nineteenth-century West.
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