Defining the Midwest and its Influence on the Region

Often lampooned as boring, bland, and less important than other regions in the country, might it be that the Midwest actually has its own regional identity and a story worth telling? Jon Lauck, a professor at the University of South Dakota thinks so. In this episode Kevin talks to Jon about his excellent new book The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest 1800-1900. They explore what made the region from Ohio to the Dakotas different from New England and from the South and why the old virtues of the Midwest might just be worth pursuing today.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro and Sponsor

1:45 Guest: Jon Lauck

7:11 Midwest Definitions and Stereotypes

26:06 What is the Midwest's Future?

38:12 Sponsor 2: Scriptura

39:12 Midwest Cultural Characteristics

48:26 Reforms and Race Relations in the Midwest

53:02 The Land Grant Act and Universities

57:00 Teaching Men to Behave

1:00:45 Is It Bad to be Sticky?