Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Real pioneer life was no episode of Little House on the Prairie. There were dust storms, attacks by Native groups, and crops that just wouldn't grow. In fact, many pioneers didn't stay very long on the new frontier because it was so hard! In this fascinating volume, readers learn why Americans headed to the frontier, how they built their homes, what they ate, how they spent their free time, and even what they used for toilet paper and windows! Photographs and other historical images show what daily life was like on the frontier to modern readers"--,Provided by publisher.