Daniel S. Dupre’s innovative study offers a history of the first generation of one community on the cotton frontier of the Old Southwest, from the speculative schemes of the late eighteenth century to the Panic of 1837. His examination of the political, economic, and social development during this period reveals the tensions and bonds existing among Madison County’s diverse populations as the community struggled to transcend its frontier origins. More than a local history, Dupre’s work is an exploration of the intersection of community and ideology and offers a glimpse of the broad forces of change sweeping through the early American republic.