Manifest Destiny: The Myth Of The Wild West

15. The philosophy of manifest destiny was founded from John O’Sullivan’s magazine quote talking about the need for American’s to proceed to explore the new territory. After reading this quote the American’s soon began to develop the idea that it was their destiny to spread their culture, customs, and government throughout all the land the explore and come across. In the beginning part of this section it states the concept of manifest destiny came from which the nation was founded on; territorial expansion, just as they had done many generations before. Now the American’s believed that this new territory was their opportunity to start a new life by going out to find new resources and exploring for their own individual financial benefits. The

The myth of the wild west made everything seem like it was going to be a perfect chance to start new lives, families, make new opportunities, and explore new lands, but in reality when people started to arrive their dreams were crushed, instead of beautiful scenery they got barren wastelands and desert, instead of crops growing magically in the blink of an eye(exaggeration), they found out that they actually had to work in harsh conditions such as rain only amounting to fifteen inches, infertile soil which made it impossible to do anything, and even after the homestead act two-thirds of the people who came for the “free” land eventually left and returned back to their previous lives because they couldn’t provide for their families. The life of the cowboy is nothing like people make it seem, people think of cowboys from movies who do nothing but ride horses all day capturing criminals and drinking with friends, but in reality cowboys had non-stop work they went to spending hours rounding up and herding cattle to butchering and distributing them so they can support their families and this process was their daily routine. Life for the women was crucial in this time, most of the women that were a part of this were either prostitutes or wives supporting their husbands. Some women though went along creating churches, schools, etc., so that things could be better. An example would be like in the book it says that Abilene, Kansas was a lawless town full of prostitutes, gambling,

During the Gold rush, women had plenty of opportunities to make money doing housework, washing clothing, and cooking for the miners. Women were making the same amount if not more than the miners were in that time. Women basically had the same jobs their entire lives, wake up, make breakfast (if lucky), milk cows, yard work, household work, washing, and most important, was being a wife and/or mother. During the westward expansion women practically worked harder than anyone whether they were miners or clothes washers, track layers or milkers, women worked extremely hard in very rough conditions which allowed them to prove to others that women are not weak nor incapable of fending for themselves which eventually lead to them having their own rights, it didn’t happen very quickly, but they got what they deserved eventually. African-Americans during the westward expansion had plenty of new opportunities (comparing to what they had before), but it started off with them migrating to the west to escape southern racism and violence. They were known as “exodusters” because of the flight from Egypt from the bible, thousands of African-americans migrated to the west near Kansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas as well as along the Mississippi river. They obtained various jobs such as farmers, cowboys, and even “Buffalo Soldiers” who fought against the Indians. They were given this name from the natives because they pretty much looked like a buffalos “twin” what with the