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Culture of the american west
The american west history
The western frontier experience
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My love affair with the West started early since I was born and raised there. However, foreign or not, everybody knows about the American West and what it entails. Whether you have a personal connection or just heard stories, the American West is known to most people around the world. My point being, everybody has had a taste of the West, where most people call home. In early September, we were asked to write about one of our most prominent Western adventures. I immediately thought about the most recent adventure I had. Visiting the Yosemite National Park. I chose this adventure for two reasons, the vast beauty of the Western figure and the fact that I was old enough to make the resemblance between the park and what we had been briefly discussing in class. Now, more than half-way through the semester, I have some different thoughts on the previous essay I wrote. I still do agree that Yosemite National Park, along with other National Parks, are all excellent wonders that define the West to what is has become today. I defined how the West was a place of open land and promise to the people who have lived here. The big problem is that I went off my education that was passed down to me ever since I was a child. When teachers talked about the …show more content…
Especially compared to Yosemite National Park. Now, based on what I have learned in the class so far, I realize so many parts of the West have such a big impact on its history and growth as a region. As they are both great examples, the theme park shows so much more in which I would have never thought about before entering this class. The theme park show the nostalgic retrograde of tourism in the West. “The nostalgic retrograde refers to a range of recreational activities based around frontier staples and a classic popular vision of the nineteenth-century West.” (Jones and Wills,
This anthropocentric theme continues throughout his narrative but is personified on a societal level. This matter is first introduced in the chapter “Polemic: Industrial Tourism and The National Parks.” In this chapter Abbey notes the expansionist nature of the industrial economy and how it is affecting the national parks. Abbey critiques arguments for uni...
The setting of the essay is Los Angeles in the 1800’s during the Wild West era, and the protagonist of the story is the brave Don Antonio. One example of LA’s Wild West portrayal is that LA has “soft, rolling, treeless hills and valleys, between which the Los Angeles River now takes its shilly-shallying course seaward, were forest slopes and meadows, with lakes great and small. This abundance of trees, with shining waters playing among them, added to the limitless bloom of the plains and the splendor of the snow-topped mountains, must have made the whole region indeed a paradise” (Jackson 2). In the 1800’s, LA is not the same developed city as today. LA is an undeveloped land with impressive scenery that provides Wild West imagery. One characteristic of the Wild West is the sheer commotion and imagery of this is provided on “the first breaking out of hostilities between California and the United States, Don Antonio took command of a company of Los Angeles volunteers to repel the intruders” (15). This sheer commotion is one of methods of Wild West imagery Jackson
It is a sad comparison to the past John Muir, who first documented Yosemite Valley, to today’s reality. The condition of Yosemite National Park should be introduced to the American public in order to protect its historic beauty and significance, eliminate current pollution, and prevent future repercussions. In
Zig-zag, back and forth, down, down, down, Jonathon, Dad, and I went into a mysterious new world. Now that I have gone into this hot, dry canyon surrounded by monstrous hoodoos, I have seen what it is really like to leave the small town of Seymour, and emerge into the greatness of this world. I have now seen several other National Parks on one of the most renowned places on earth for mysterious creations, the Colorado Plateau. Of all the beautiful places on it, even the Grand Canyon, I have found my favorite one. Bryce Canyon National Park. I thought it was amazing, because it was the most diverse to anything I have ever seen before. We hiked down into it and I felt like I was surrounded by skyscrapers. We trekked around a little, but we didn’t
Yosemite a plagiarism of the garden of Eden, in the first place Yosemite was inhabited by native Indians, Awahneechee tribe who called the land Awahnee “ place of a gaping mouth”. The “white man” came and took the land from the Awahneechee burning down any Indian homes found, after the destruction of the Awahneechee tribe the “white man” before leaving the park decided to name the land. Yosemite, thought to be the name of the tribe that inhabited the land, the industrialists, only interested in making money and violence, thought that driving out the native Indians from the land would prove an effective idea. The destruction of the Awahneechee Indians would give the men free roam of the land with no native interference, also giving free treatment of the land to their will. the name Yosemite in native tongue means “people who should be feared” meaning “they are killers”. A few years after the group of “Mariposa Battalion” left another group of “white men” came, but they were not armed for violence, but were tourists (The National Park: America‘s Best Idea). The industrialists raping the land, not simply picking flowers from the meadow, destruction, a literal hell in paradise. The only thing they have interest in was their on selfish wants, the land, the money, the irresistible hunger for power. Man has always been eager to make his way to the top, not caring who he brings down, steps on, humiliates, or even ruins. Man a beast, extremely hard to control like a mad bull in a china shop destroying everything in its path, only receiving the circumstances at a later date. Man has always been tricked, whether by human or beast it always ends the same way, with disaster.
Yosemite National Park, is a beautiful piece of nature it is a 195 mile nature getaway from the urban life that is lived San Francisco, CA and 315 miles away from the fast pace and overwhelming life that is lived in Los Angeles CA. This place is like no other in the beauty of its nature. The park is “747,956 acres, and is the home to hundreds of wildlife species and thousands of Yosemite plants” (U.S. Nat. Park Service). Yosemite is known for so many beautiful features, from its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves and biological diversity. And also for its two rivers which are the Tuolumne and Merced rivers. These rivers begin in the park and flow as far as west to the Central Valley.
By placing this emphasis on beauty in the wilderness the American people expected to see a beautiful wilderness, although in reality these two are not mutually exclusive. Muir supported a form of natural improvement in which alterations to the natural world are made, but not with any economic value in mind. Interestingly, Muir suggests that our wildness is a commodity to which, we are glad to see how much of even the most destructible kind is still unspoiled”. (Muir) By the time the National Park Service was founded in 1916 the American people wanted to be entertained by, and in, nature
Disneyland marked the onset of theme parks in the nation, which was carved out of a fantasy tale and it has been the leader for 60 years. And, there was virtually no competition to the attraction quotient that attracted people and tourists to visit the theme park.
One strength of his article is that it can easily elicit an emotional response from the more sympathetic readers and outdoor enthusiasts. Duane appeals to pathos when first setting the scene of a day in the wilderness. He describes what it would be like if one had the “good fortune” to spot a Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep in the wild. He writes, “You unwrap a chocolate bar amid breathtaking views . . . the sight fills you with awe and also with gratitude for the national parks, forests, and yes, environmental regulations that keep the American dream of wilderness alive” (Duane 1). For the audience that connects to this emotional appeal, this instantly draws them in to the article and can arouse feelings of amazement and wonder toward the sight described. It can likewise leave readers wondering whether or not this scene is truly so perfect. This statement can also appear too dramatic for those less passionate. When Duane writes, “The sight fills you with . . . gratitude for the . . . yes, environmental regulations that keep the American dream of wilderness alive,” it seems almost untrue, as most people do not think twice about the environmental regulations that keep animals in their
Cronon argues that “any way of looking at nature that encourages us to believe we are separate from nature—as wilderness tends to do—is likely to reinforce environmentally irresponsible behavior” (87). Yet if we were to view ourselves as one with nature, as we are, then perhaps society would be more concerned with protecting and preserving the entire natural world, versus specific areas that have been deemed worthy. I personally achieve a much more satisfactory escape from human modernization by simply going off the grid and finding my own wilderness that is distant from all signs of humans versus a regulated park. A national park is similar to a museum; one simply looks around and attempts to gain insight on the subject at hand, yet there is no possible way to actually immerse yourself in the display. Although individuals do not realize this – they are not aware of what true wilderness looks like given that no one boasts about it. There is such a distinct line between actual wilderness and the false one that people idealize, that genuine wilderness is disappearing, since it is not actively being preserved. However, by actively preserving wilderness, would we not be separating ourselves further from
Since its creation in 1916, the National Park Service (NPS) has had to balance between its two goals, which are to preserve wilderness and nature and to provide the public with access to these wonders in a monitored environment. These two goals tend to create a conflict for the NPS because as soon as one goal is given more priority than the other, the administration of national parks is harshly criticized by the public. The accusation that by allowing people to experience the wilderness, the NPS is corrupting the natural environment is very common, as well, as the criticism towards the lack of government funding to preserve nature and history. However, regardless of arguable criticism and a certain need for improvement, after one hundred years,
Every year, over nine million hikers and adventure seekers travel to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park making it the most visited national park in the United States. There are abundant reasons for this, but many popular reasons include over 150 hiking trails extending over 850 miles, a large portion of the Appalachian Trail, sightseeing, fishing, horseback riding, and bicycling. The park houses roughly ten thousand species of plants and animals with an estimated 90,000 undocumented species likely possible to be present. It is clear why there was a pressing interest in making all this land into a national park. My research was started by asking the question; how did the transformation of tourism due to the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park affect surrounding cities such as Gatlinburg and Sevier County, and in return, its effect on the popularity of the park?
The second I stepped foot onto the amusement park’s property, I could feel the magic swirling all around me. As I walked through the crowds of people young and old wearing Disney apparel and Mickey Mouse ears, everything seemed so enchanting: the cheerful music, the twinkly lights on all of the buildings, and the stores that could have been from my favorite Disney movies. Walking along the streets, I took pictures of everything around me because I did not want to forget a single detail; I took pictures of the vibrant yellow, red, and pink flowers that lined the streets, the buildings with intricate details and designs, and the massive roller coasters that glided so swiftly on their tracks. The air was filled with heavenly scents of sweet churros, and I had to get one; it was delectable. Everything at Disneyland seemed perfect and like it was out of a movie. Even as I was about to leave, I got drawn back in; spectacular, bright, colorful fireworks started bursting right over my head, and I could not bring myself to go. My first visit to Disneyland was truly enchanting and magical. At the time I thought no other vacation could
I’m on a muddy, yellow bus coming back from camp. I'm twelve and so are you. Prior to leaving for camp, I had imagined it would be just me and three, maybe four, other boys that I hadn't met yet, running around all summer, getting ourselves into trouble. Playing games and just enjoying our summer. You know, typical boy stuff. Ultimately it ended up being me and this one girl. That's you. As long as we are still on the bus its like we are still at camp. Once we reach the pickup point where our parents would be waiting for us camp will be over.
My favorite summer vacation was when my Father took me to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. What made it even more memorable was the fact that it was my very first time on an airplane. I cannot recall another time in my life when I experienced so much joy. That trip to Universal Studios was the first time my Father and I actually did something together, just the two of us and was something brought me close to my Father. In this essay I will tell you about my plane ride over there, what I did right when I got there, and about my time at Universal Studios.