Settling the West - American Story Author:Editors of Time-Life Books Beginning in 1849, tens of thousands of Americans packed their bags and headed West, in search of gold. 30 years later, the U.S. had 13 more states, 160,000 more miles of railroad track, and almost 40 million more people. In this poignant and compelling chapter of The American Story, you'll experience the powerful drama of that transformatio... more »n, in the words of the people who were there. Vintage photos.« less