
The Conquest (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Enthralling Real-Life Saga of a Black Pioneer (Western Classics)By Oscar MicheauxLength10h 7m
About this audiobook
Oscar Micheaux's The Conquest: The Story of a Negro Pioneer is a vigorous early-twentieth-century novel of migration, labor, and self-fashioning on the American frontier. Blending autobiography, romance, social observation, and uplift narrative, it follows an ambitious Black homesteader who seeks land, independence, and dignity in the Dakotas. Its plainspoken, documentary style places it within both African American protest literature and the broader tradition of pioneer realism, while challenging the racial exclusions often hidden in frontier mythology. Micheaux himself was uniquely positioned to write such a work. Born in Illinois in 1884 to formerly enslaved parents, he worked as a Pullman porter before becoming a homesteader in South Dakota, experiences that shaped his belief in mobility, enterprise, and racial advancement. The Conquest reflects his firsthand knowledge of prairie settlement and his lifelong commitment to representing Black aspiration outside conventional Southern settings. This book is recommended for readers interested in African American literary history, frontier studies, and the roots of Micheaux's later filmmaking. It is especially valuable as a bold, imperfect, and revealing document of Black modern ambition.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreGeneral Fiction, Action and Adventure
Length10 hrs 7 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 8, 2021
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
27Chapter XXII. The President's Proclamation
2Introduction
28Chapter XXIII. Where the Negro Fails
3Synopsis
29Chapter XXIV. "And the Crowds Did Come." The Prairie Fire
4Historical Context
30Chapter XXV. The Scotch Girl
5Author Biography
31Chapter XXVI. The Battle
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6Chapter I. Discontent—Spirit of the Pioneer
32Chapter XXVII. The Sacrifice—Race Loyalty
7Chapter II. Leaving Home—A Maiden
33Chapter XXVIII. The Breeds
8Chapter III. Chicago, Chasing a Will-O-The-Wisp
34Chapter XXIX. In the Valley of the Dog Ear
9Chapter IV. The P——N Company
35Chapter XXX. Ernest Nicholson Takes a Hand
10Chapter V. "Go West Young Man and Grow Up with the Country"
36Chapter XXXI. The McCralines
11Chapter VI. "And Where is Oristown?" The Town on the Missouri
37Chapter XXXII. A Long Night
12Chapter VII. Oristown, the "Little Crow" Reservation
38Chapter XXXIII. The Survival of the Fittest
13Chapter VIII. Far Down the Pacific—The Proposal
39Chapter XXXIV. East of State Street
14Chapter IX. The Return—Ernest Nicholson
40Chapter XXXV. An Uncrowned King
15Chapter X. The Oklahoma Grafter
41Chapter XXXVI. A Snake in the Grass
16Chapter XI. Dealin' in Mules
42Chapter XXXVII. The Progressives and the Reactionaries
17Chapter XII. The Homesteaders
43Chapter XXXVIII. Sanctimonious Hypocrisy
18Chapter XIII. Imaginations Run Amuck
44Chapter XXXIX. Beginning of the End
19Chapter XIV. The Surveyors
45Chapter XL. The Mennonites
20Chapter XV. "Which Town will the R.R. Strike?"
46Chapter XLI. The Drouth
21Chapter XVI. Megory's Day
47Chapter XLII. A Year of Coincidences
22Chapter XVII. Ernest Nicholson's Return—The Building West of Town—"What's It All About"
48Chapter XLIII. "And Satan Came Also."
23Chapter XVIII. Comes Stanley, the Chief Engineer
49Analysis
24Chapter XIX. In the Valley of the Keya Paha. The Rivals. The Vigilants
50Reflection
25Chapter XX. The Outlaw's Last Stand
51Memorable Quotes
26Chapter XXI. The Boom