The Conquest - The novel narrates the story of Micheaux, who bears the same name as its famous author, and his struggles to become a successful homesteader in Dakota. Largely autobiographical, the novel details the early years of struggle and hard work that went into surviving the tough Wild West. The Homesteader - Jean Baptiste is a hard-working man whose only dream is to make a life for himself in Dakota. However, even as a Black pioneer, he is doomed to be separated from the love of his love due to racial laws prohibiting interracial marriages. Thus, to avoid the all-consuming loneliness, he instead decides to get married to Orlean. However, his new father-in-law is a nightmare from hell and although a preacher, all his attention is focused upon him rather than in the service of god. Can Baptiste survive the ordeal or will he succumb to the psychological pressures?