Wagons West (abridged)

The year is 1837. The American West is untamed, uncivilized, and largely unclaimed. U.S. President Andrew Jackson, in a race with the British and Russians, sends a wagon train of would-be settlers into the uncharted Oregon territory, led by his close friend, mountain man and veteran Sam Brentwood. Teaming up with trail hand Whip Holt, widow Claudia Humphries, and a colorful group of courageous pioneers, Brentwood sets off from New York, heading westward to Independence, Missouri.

Autumn, 1837. Blazing onward from the eastern shores, to Missouri, the legendary wagon train sent by U.S. President Andrew Jackson has reached the last outpost of civilization. Now five hundred strong, these brave pioneers set a course across the great rolling plains toward the treacherous Rockies, hoping to stake a claim in the American West. Led by their new wagon master, “Whip” Holt, they must unite as a team if they are to survive, despite their vast differences.

It is 1838. The first wagon train to Oregon country moves slowly across the Great Plains, reaching the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in early autumn. Led by wagon scout “Whip” Holt, the 500-strong community of courageous men, women, and children prepare for the bitter winter ahead. Among them are dreamers and drifters, foreigners and natives, friends and enemies.

Three mighty nations have sent explorers to stake their claims - the English army, Russian agents, and American pioneers - but only one can win. Devoted to the dream of a new home, Whip Holt finds himself divided by two women: his wife, who is courted by both the English and the Russians, and Cathy van Ayl Blake, who is married to an American commander. Together, these would-be settlers must fight for what they believe in, or die for what they love - in the name of freedom, justice, and destiny.

The bold new Republic of Texas is fighting for its life. Rallying to the cause of liberty, the brave pioneers who forged the Oregon Trail are called upon to lead a new wagon train into the fray. Leaving their homes in the thriving Oregon Territory, they face impossible odds on the wild Texas frontier, overrun with dangerous outlaws, native tribes, and the powerful Mexican Army.

Gold fever. It swept the country from coast to coast, luring more than a hundred thousand seekers to the untamed territory of California. For them, the Gold Rush of 1848 represented the American Dream come true. But for the settlers who lived there, it was an all-out assault on the homes they'd struggled so hard to build. Now boomtowns arise overnight, teeming with outlaws, killers, and desperate men. In Sacramento Valley, former Texas Ranger Rick Miller struggles to keep the peace with nothing more than a six shooter and guts.

Some came for freedom; others, to build a new life. But in 1858, when gold is discovered in the Colorado region, thousands of desperate men and women descend on Denver like a hungry swarm. Homesteaders struggle to hold onto their claims, but none are immune to the effects of gold fever. Wagon train veteran Chet Harris risks his life to repeat the success he found in the California gold fields. Mineral expert Luke Brando masquerades as a banker, while his wife hides a yearning for riches of her own. And young Cathy Blake discovers just how far she’ll go to defeat a voluptuous rival.

Virginia City, 1861. As thousands of fortune-seekers descend on the silver-rich boomtown hoping to cash in on the Comstock Lode, a very different cause unites the ranks of courageous soldiers in the coming Civil War - the supreme battle for America’s future. Major General Lee Blake is assigned the treacherous task of transporting silver to the Union troops in Missouri - while enemies plot to sabotage his mission. By his side are some of the bravest men and women Blake has ever known. With states seceding one by one, and tensions rising every day, the fate of a nation is riding on their journey.