Fiction
Some novels in the "public domain."
SO the novels listed here are examples of before and after the "Wild West." Check out the "Virginian" link below for some "westerns."
"O Pioneers!" is set in the early 20th Century - and tells the story of a Swedish-American family homesteading in Nebraska.
The "Red Badge of Courage" takes place in the Civil War. Te rest take place in and around the time period of the American Revolution.
William Makepeace's "The Virginians" (1859) is one of those massive "English family drama" novels - two brothers chose differnt sides of the American fight for Independence.
Fans of Westerns should notice the plural form - and not confuse Makepeace's huge novel with Owen Wister's "The Virginian" (1902) (which you could download here)