The Lost Region: Toward a Revival of Midwestern History (review)

Book Reviews 127 these photos make it a valuable resource for the times and a powerful reminder as to the huge advantage Detroit made to the Allied cause. Susan Paton Central Michigan University Jon K. Lauck. The Lost Region: Toward a Revival of Midwestern History. Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa Press, 2013. Pp. 180. Bibliography. Index. Notes. Paper, $35.00. The Lost Region begins with a beautiful quote by Frederick Jackson Turner: “There is charm in restoring the past.” Lauck follows with a meaty argument, within a systematic, detailed, and organized format, as to why Americans cannot afford to ignore Midwestern history and how all citizens could benefit from its revival. There are four chapters and an epilogue within the book’s compact ninety pages and Lauck’s “Notes,” which could have been the basis for a fifth chapter, comprising an astonishing 66 additional pages. The writing, though complex, offers a readable style and certainly does not lack for source materials, creating a favorable start to the new series by the University of Iowa Press entitled “Iowa and the Midwest Experience.” “Why the Midwest Matters,” the first chapter, attempts to fully define “the significance” of the region: its democracy, egalitarianism, diversity, frontier, and immigrant population. This chapter details a longer and more dynamic view of Midwestern history than is typical for most regional backgrounds as it begins before the American Revolution. Lauck makes the interesting point that the immense agricultural and mineral resources of the Midwest helped “tip the balance” toward victory during the nation’s major conflicts of the Civil War, Great War, and World War II. Lauck admits that while Midwestern history lacks the dramatic variance of the Western landscape and the strong sentimental regionalism of the South, the historically strong topics of capitalism, labor rights, civil rights, and populism, as well as agricultural and environmental history, all factor prominently in the region’s complexity. Lauck’s summation remains profound: “The Midwest matters, in short, because it helps explain the course of foundational events in North America, the origins of the American Revolution, the political and social foundations of the American republic, the outcome of the Civil War, and the emergence of the United States as a world power that shaped global events.” 128 The Michigan Historical Review Lauck notes that there had been a time when historians studied the Midwest with greater seriousness and a deeper recognition of its significance. Populism and farming were the most intense aspects of this environment, and these Prairie Historians searched for and established outlets for their work, especially state historical societies and regional academic journals. They organized the Mississippi Valley Historical Association (MVHA) which would later be replaced by the American Historical Association (AHA). Lauck’s argument then turns to the need for future Prairie Historians, but he neglects to acknowledge the economic resources that have diminished or disappeared particularly in the Midwest during recent decades, especially with limited government funding to state historical societies and academic presses. In other words, Lauck could be more political with his argument, probing more into the shortage of funding which has contributed to the further demise of Midwestern history. Also, in making his argument about a ‘lost’ history, Lauck seems to ignore present-day Midwestern historians who have survived despite the odds and who deserve perhaps a chapter or bibliography drawing together their current research and publications. “This lost region is worth finding again,” Lauck laments. Yet, what are we searching for? What do we hope to find? What do we wish to create? It’s often not monumental history; instead, the search continues to recover and celebrate a Midwestern democratic spirit, its inspiring personalities, and the region’s subtle but dramatic narratives. Lauck’s The Lost Region should be required reading for many history activists as well as graduate history seminars and writing workshops. Lisa Payne Ossian Des Moines Area Community College Jacob E. Nyenhuis and George Harinck, eds. The Enduring Legacy of Albertus C. Van Raalte as Leader and Liaison. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2014. Pp. 558. Appendices. Index. Notes. Photographs. Cloth, $60.00. This volume of essays is the result of an ambitious, bi-national conference commemorating...