The homesteaders trad wives would rather forget about (Megan Kate Nelson, part 2)

In part 2 of our exploration of the American frontier, Megan Kate Nelson introduces two women who belie the homesteader image conservative "trad wives" like to harken back to. Polly Bemis was a Chinese immigrant who built a life and a community in Idaho, despite intense prejudice and stringent anti-Chinese immigration policies. Ella Watson was a self-made homesteader and small rancher, a so-called cattle queen who got on the wrong side of cattle barons in Wyoming and paid the price. Read more: How Chinese women were barred from the American dream  [**★ Support this podcast ★**](https://www.broadhistory.com/membership "★ Support this podcast ★") **On this episode:** - Isabelle Roughol - Host - Megan Kate Nelson - Guest **What do you think?** - Read & comment at broadhistory.com - [Reply on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:n7fd3cmvdti4qtwm4piccq75/post/3mnm3eollya2n "Reply on Bluesky") - Email me: [isa@broadhistory.com](mailto:isa@broadhistory.com) **Jump to:** - (00:00) - 08 Megan Kate Nelson part 2 - (01:18) - Start of interview - (01:46) - Introducing Polly Bemis - (03:04) - The majority-Chinese American West - (06:55) - Polly Bemis traveled without moving - (09:12) - Chinese women were the first targets of US anti-immigrant policy - (09:50) - The aggressive anti-Chinese immigration policies of the United States - (12:13) - How big government made the West for white men - (13:43) - Ella Watson's broken American dream - (14:25) - The cattle queens - (23:03) - A high tolerance for risk - (24:30) - Why correcting the Frontier myth matters today - (27:06) - How trad wives utilise the American Frontier - (30:21) - What moment in history should we revisit from women's perspective? - (34:30) - Outro **Get the book** 🇺🇸 Buy the book 🇬🇧 Shop the UK bookshop (Megan Kate Nelson's The Westerners is only available in the US) (Affiliate bookshop.org links support Broad History and indie bookstores.) [Click here to view the episode transcript.](https://share.transistor.fm/s/c83f1c90/transcript "Click here to view the episode transcript.")