- Beliefs: The myth of the Wild West is comes from the romanticization of ranching and gold-mining, two common occupations for those living in the great plains region or in California ear the coast.
- Identity: The genetic makeup of people who admitted the myth was mostly Anglo-Americans seeing as they actively sought land from the Indians and Mexicans and many sought escape from the ongoing sectionalism in the eastern united states. The secondary group to adhere to this belief would be freedmen becuase, following emancipation, not enough freedman’s bureaus were available to provide sufficient education for African Americans to participate in a manufacturing economy.
- Economy: California was know as the symbol of wealth after the gold rush. Everyone thought the gold was in the water but later on it was discovered more was in the and close to the water. The gold rush brought tons of immigrants and americans to california in search of riches, when in fact the chances of finding enough gold to make a living was slim. Major companies took over the business making it impossible for an individual to strike mass amounts of gold.
- Peopling: The gold rush brought the largest mass migration in american history. It brought about 300,000 people to california in 1849. As more people migrated it created chain migration.
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show - Buffalo Bill
H.) William Frederick Cody, known as Buffalo Bill, was a buffalo hunter, U.S. army scout, and an Indian fighter, but is best known as the man who gave the Wild West its name.
I.) People wanting to attend the show.
P.) He produced a show called Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World, which had an international reputation and helped create a lasting image of the American West.
P.) To attract viewers to the show and increase attendance. This, later on, shaping an iconic image of the west.
I.) People wanting to attend the show.
P.) He produced a show called Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World, which had an international reputation and helped create a lasting image of the American West.
P.) To attract viewers to the show and increase attendance. This, later on, shaping an iconic image of the west.
"I Will Go West!" - J. P. Barrett
H.) 1885 - With the settlement of the West comes Western Folklore; this song being a shaping part of the iconic “Wild West”
I.) Citizens throughout the country learning about the stories of the West.
P.) A man who lived on the East Coast and Moved to the West, saying how much better it was for himself and his family.
P.) Promote the Western expansion as well as tell a tale of the Wild West.
I.) Citizens throughout the country learning about the stories of the West.
P.) A man who lived on the East Coast and Moved to the West, saying how much better it was for himself and his family.
P.) Promote the Western expansion as well as tell a tale of the Wild West.
"Frontier Myth"
H.) In the heat of western development, Native American dislike is at an all time high. This engraving depicts peace talks between the Indians and pioneers.
I.) Historians and the general public to document what was happening at the time.
P.) 19th Century historian.
P.) Record the occurrences in the West at that point in time.
I.) Historians and the general public to document what was happening at the time.
P.) 19th Century historian.
P.) Record the occurrences in the West at that point in time.
- Thesis: To what extent did the myth of the west impact the growth of the West?
The myth of the west gave hope to migrants in search of economic opportunity, motivated the removal of Native Americans into Indian reserves which procured land for American western expansion, and convinced many to take advantage of the cheap land opportunities, and ultimately bolstered the growth of the west.
Following widespread adherence to the myth of the west, the United States’ Government passed legislation to force Native Americans into reservations in the great plains in favor of procuring land in the West for American citizens. The Indian Removal Act proposed by Andrew Jackson lead to the trail of tears where thousands of natives died being forcibly relocated to reservations in Oklahoma. Following the government ordained ethnic cleansing, land was sold cheap to willing migrants, and offered as a means of redistributing land to freedmen with the “40-acres and mule” plan. The myth of the frontier greatly impacted western growth by driving the United States government to acquire more land.