The American West was a land of opportunity for everyone from 1865-1900. Though, the extent of the opportunity varied on your race or creed. In many cases, if you were intelligent, resourceful, and hardworking you would likely succeed in one way or another. The opportunities of recently freed blacks, the Chinese, and the American Indians were much less than that of the white man. In almost all cases, these groups of people really had no other choice and had to take any chance they could get in order to make a living.
People weren’t getting rich left and right. However, many settlers made enough to at least sustain themselves. Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862. It gave 160 acres of federal land to farmers who staked a claim and lived …show more content…
The Chinese for example, were discriminated against. Their wages often being lower. They did not have very much opportunities as they spoke limited English. There were put in some of the worst working conditions and many often died. African Americans were segregated, and most were unable to compete with white farmers due to costs they could not afford as well as continued racism.
Opportunity: a favorable juncture of circumstances. These groups conditions were not in favorable positions. However, most did not have much of a choice. Blacks wouldn’t better off in the East and neither would the Chinese. This is not to say there were not success stories. There were successful cowboys such as the famous Nat Love or Isom Dart. Even some women. Margaret Heffernan Borland being of note. She was a successful rancher and was said to have owned more than 10,000 cattle in her Texas ranch. She is the only woman who was known to have lead cattle in the West in the 1800’s.
Social darwinism really held true in the American West. Many whites had the same opportunities as each other but few were very successful. The opportunity of all of them was equal, but equality of opportunity does not mean equality of outcome. You had to be the strongest, the wittiest, and the best in order to make
People weren’t getting rich left and right. However, many settlers made enough to at least sustain themselves. Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862. It gave 160 acres of federal land to farmers who staked a claim and lived …show more content…
The Chinese for example, were discriminated against. Their wages often being lower. They did not have very much opportunities as they spoke limited English. There were put in some of the worst working conditions and many often died. African Americans were segregated, and most were unable to compete with white farmers due to costs they could not afford as well as continued racism.
Opportunity: a favorable juncture of circumstances. These groups conditions were not in favorable positions. However, most did not have much of a choice. Blacks wouldn’t better off in the East and neither would the Chinese. This is not to say there were not success stories. There were successful cowboys such as the famous Nat Love or Isom Dart. Even some women. Margaret Heffernan Borland being of note. She was a successful rancher and was said to have owned more than 10,000 cattle in her Texas ranch. She is the only woman who was known to have lead cattle in the West in the 1800’s.
Social darwinism really held true in the American West. Many whites had the same opportunities as each other but few were very successful. The opportunity of all of them was equal, but equality of opportunity does not mean equality of outcome. You had to be the strongest, the wittiest, and the best in order to make