The crossing of America's first great divide-the Appalachian Mountains-has been a source of much fascination but has received little attention from modern historians. In the eighteenth century, the Wilderness Road and Ohio River routes into Kentucky presented daunting natural barriers and the threat of Indian attack.

Running Mad for Kentucky brings this adventure to life. Primarily a collection of travel diaries, it includes day-to-day accounts that illustrate the dangers thousands of Americans, adult and child, black and white, endured to establish roots in the wilderness. Ellen Eslinger's vivid and extensive introductory essay draws on numerous diaries, letters, and oral histories of trans-Appalachian travelers to examine the historic consequences of the journey, a pivotal point in the saga of the continent's indigenous people. The book demonstrates how the fabled soil of Kentucky captured the imagination of a young nation.

Ellen Eslinger, professor of history at DePaul University, is the author of Citizens of Zion: The Social Origins of Camp Meeting Revivalism.

Reviews:

A Choice Outstanding Academic Book for 2005

"An effective introduction to travel narratives of the Appalachian migration. Eslinger should be commended for bringing these sources together in an attractive, well annotated, and easily digested volume." -Glenn Crothers, University of Louisville, Journal of the American Studies Association of Texas

"Eslinger has creatively combined an excellent introduction, useful editorial settings for a well-chosen representation of documents, insightfully selected primary sources, and modern research to provide readers a magnificent collection of frontier travel accounts. . . . Essential." -Choice

"Here are 13 regular people like us who dared to come to this beautiful and dangerous wilderness 200 and more years ago and who had the foresight and ability to record their day-by-day travels and travails in their journals. These ordinary detailed fascinate us today." -Louisville Courier-Journal

"These early travel accounts will transport you back to the Kentucky of your forefathers and -mothers and give you a greater appreciation for the sacrifices they made." -Louisville Courier-Journal

"These rare early accounts provide a glimpse into the hardships and possibilities of moving to and visiting the region." -Agricultural History