Join the Rhode Island Historical Society on Tuesday, December 9th at 7 pm for a virtual presentation by Curator of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and historian Paul Hutton to discuss his latest book, The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West.
The epic of the American West became a tale of progress, redemption, and conquest that came to shape the identity of a new nation. Over time, a darker story emerged—one of ghastly violence and environmental spoliation that stained this identity. In this talk, Hutton strips away the layers of myth surrounding the West and some of its most famous characters, including William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and Sitting Bull, to reveal the true story of this epoch of American history. From Braddock’s 1755 defeat to the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre, he unfolds a tale of heroic conquest and dark tragedy, of sacrifice and greed, and of man-made wonders and environmental ruin.
Paul Andrew Hutton is an American cultural historian, award-winning author, documentary writer, and television personality. He currently serves as Curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. He is also Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at the University of New Mexico.
This program is part of a series promoting the RIHS fundraising trip in October 2026 to America’s Cowboy Country, which will feature a visit to Deadwood.
Registration is required for this event. Guests can register here.