The Colorado River's Help and Hindrance of Settlement in the Western United States Geographers can tell you that the one thing that most rivers and their adjacent flood plains in the world have in common is that they have rich histories associated with human settlement and development. This especially true in arid regions which are very dependent upon water. Two excellent examples are the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates rivers which show use the relationship between rivers and concentrations
relive the events of the once so wild and untamed land of the west that so many now fantasize about. After reading about the old west and watching early westerns it is amazing how much Hollywood still glorifies the history and myth of the old west. It may not be directly obvious to every one, but if you look closely there is always a hint of the Western mentality such as honor, justice, romance, drama, and violence. The most interesting thing about the Old West is the fact that history and myth have
Jacobs & Company, 1918. Google. Web. 1 Jun. 2010. Stratton, Joanna L. Pioneer Women Voices from the Kansas Frontier. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1981. Print. Varigny, C and Arabella Ward. The Women of the United States. New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company, 1895. Google. Web. 1 Jun. 2010. Western Writers of America. The Women Who Made the West. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1980. Print.
The Cowboy Figure The figure of the cowboy is prominent, not only in America’s history, but also in contemporary society. The cowboy has always been regarded as the epitome of freedom, machismo and individuality, and his character maintains a certain romantic quality about it. Riding the range with his trusty horse, forging the frontier, and exposing himself to the mercy of the wilderness, the cowboy lives for himself alone and yet he lives the life about which the rest of society can only
Straight-shooting Christianity The March 11, 2003 edition of USA Today reports on a new approach to religious faith in certain churches: worship based in the values and mores of the American West. “Straight-shooting emphasis on Christianity spurs a growing trend,” reads the headline (Grossman D1). A church named, with no needed irony, “Cross Trails” is reported to baptize new believers “in an 8-foot circular, blue plastic horse trough” (Grossman D1). This is a trail to belief that is stripped-down
purposes, initially to establish a sense of Eastern style and then to knock it down by contrast with the authenticity of the West. The story opens with the newlyweds on board the train headed west towards the town of Yellow Sky. Though located in remote western, Yellow Sky can be reached by train, which serves as a literal and
Inevitability of Change in Stephen Crane's The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky Humans are creatures of habit. In his work "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," Stephen Crane considers this apparent truism as well as its sometimes unfortunate consequences. In the story, Scratchy Wilson and Jack Potter face a dramatically changing society. Although their actions and emotions concerning the changes in their town differ, Scratchy and Potter are both very fearful of the inescapable easternizing influences.
Joseph Laskowski 5/14/14 Gold rush: Personal stories The Wild West was a place of lawlessness and opportunity for those brave enough to risk it all in the harsh environment that was the west. The golden years of the Rush lasted from 1848 to roughly 1858. Over the decade, over a hundred thousand people migrated to the west. Over ten years and with all those new people in a foreign land, some interesting things were bound to occur. Of all the thousands of stories from the rush, I’ve picked out some
In “An Encounter,” James Joyce tells the story of 2 young boys who abandon school for a day in search of adventure. After another boy inspires them with Wild West novels, the narrator and his friend, Mahony, attempt to “break out of the weariness of school life for one day at least” (p. 13). The boys intend to visit a castle, but are exhausted before they arrive. As the narrator and Mahony rest in a field, they meet an older gentleman (p. 16). This man talks with the boys, asking about their
Mexico mining town called Silver City. Utley states that after the death of his mother in 1874, his stepfather started to pay little attention to the youth and Kid fell into a life of crime. With Kid’s lack of a
California leads as the largest agricultural powerhouse and farm income in the United States by providing for consumers over two hundred types of crops; and represents about 73% of the state's agricultural revenues collected from crops (Economy of California, 2009). The perception of Californian cuisine is based on the fact that California has lots of agricultural products from which a variety of fresh ingredients are made. The foundation of today’s Californian cuisine and how it has flourished in
in the states whose history it records, but it hasn’t always been accepted in the larger art world. Thirty years ago, it was often seen as an out of touch genre, fed by a love of nostalgia and history. Today, it is slowly entering museums across the U.S. and the great works of the American Western artists are being recognized. Charles M. Russell was truly an artist of the American West. He created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Indians, and landscapes set in the western United States. Of Russell’s
The Western Frontier As I sat thinking about what to write about the western frontier I started to realize that issues were the things that at least keep me going and I knew I could say a lot on both. I couldn't quite figure out how I was going to put them together until I did some research and other reading and started to remember their life and its purposes. I'm not the one to into history but I came across some very interesting information which I felt could bring my points of view out quite
The concept of the Wild West lies at the core of the American ideology â" the republican ideology of an independent state ruled by Law. The conflict between Law and Justice is always at the centre of a western. The reason is not hard to find: the wild frontier lands which used to belong to the native American population was an easy prey for all kinds of adventurers, outlaws and gangsters; ordinary settlers, in their turn, had to suffer from both Indians and rustlers. This resulted in immediate measures
The Western Frontier The western frontier is full of many experiences that changed the frontier. Each significant event has an important role on the shaping of society and way it influenced a new nation. Each author brought a new perspective and thought process to the western experience which either contradicted Turner or supported his theories. The frontier ideas that interested me include topics such as trading frontier, farming frontier, nationality and government, and the neglecting of women
your typical history book. It is an critical analysis of how Americans view the western expansion through the myths, legends, and symbolic culture that’s associated with it. Smith delves into the topic of what the West and the frontier meant to the American public. This is not a book which discusses established history but a book about what people believe is true about the American past. This analysis of the American Western experience is important to American historiographical research. Henry Nash Smith
part of American history. He stated, “What the Mediterranean Sea was to the Greeks, breaking the bond of custom, offering new experiences, calling out new institutions and activities, that, and more, the ever retreating frontier has been to the United States directly, and to the nations of Europe more remotely. And now, four centuries from the discovery of America, at the end of a hundred years of life under the Constitution, the frontier has gone, and with its going has closed the first period of
Interactions with Nature in the Rocky Mountain States Human interaction with the Rocky Mountain States has shifted tremendously since the beginning of recorded history. These changes can be broken down into three phases. The first phase would be the communal posture held by Native Americans. This period of time ran from the Spanish colonization in the 16th century until the era of the mountain man. With the establishment of the United States a new period of exploration for exploitation began
inexpensive land in the American West provided opportunity for many Americans to fulfill the American dream of individualism, economic opportunity and personal freedom. Immigrants, former slaves and other settlers moved across the country to become western farmers and ranchers to make a new life. One of the reasons why the west was a land of opportunity for the farmers and ranchers was the large quantity of cheap available land. This allowed for many Americans, both rich and poor, to buy land for farming
of the decided to go to the west were they would be able to receive a new chance and new identities. " Black families coming wets in covered wagons established self sufficient all black towns and filed every job from barber, to teacher, doctor to state legislator. This went to show many people that there stereotype of blacks that they were dumb and less human was extremely incorrect. But the main contributions that I will be focusing on will be that of Black Cowboys and the buffalo Soldiers. When