About the author: R. Alton Lee is professor emeritus of history at the University of South Dakota. An acknowledged expert on American political history, Lee has written widely about Midwestern and Great Plains history. 

Image description: The cover has a light blue background and has the title and subtitle are printed at the top of the cover. On the foreground there is a collage of five historical documents of banners. The author's name is printed in the right bottom corner.