History of South Dakota is widely recognized as the definitive history of the state. Beginning with the earliest American Indian settlers, Herbert S. Schell traces the history of this region midway between the Midwest and the West. This classic account provides a picture of South Dakota's political, economic, social, and environmental history, identifying the local, regional, national, and global forces that shaped the fortieth state through World War II. John E. Miller picks up the story at the beginning of the Cold War and chronicles the rest of the twentieth century. From the interaction of its native inhabitants with its newer visitors and residents, including fur traders, gold miners, homesteaders, and cattlemen, to the development of its political systems, the state's rich heritage is captured here. By placing the opportunities and challenges of the last century - rural electrification, interstate highways, agricultural consolidation, ongoing dialogues among American Indians and non-Indians - in context, Miller contends that the state's citizens will be better able to forge its future in the new millennium.