The journey west was far from easy. The trip it self was a life changing experience for those who risked their lives on the long journey. The hardships were a result of the grueling natural environment of the west, which changed the way the settlers lived their daily lives. Other factors such as the glooming presence of the British, and Native Indians also caused trouble amongst the settlers. Western life was different from the rest of the nation because of the troubles faced by the people, the vast nothingness of the landscape, and conflicts with the British and Indians. The journey West is a story of danger, hardships, and even death. The land was relatively unexplored, and roads were an idea of the distant future. The first families to embark on these journeys encountered life changing experiences, one of these families was the family of Lucy Henderson Deady. In her diary, which dates back to around 1850, she recounts the experience of the trip, "Three days after my little sister Lettie drank the laudanum... and died,we stopped for a few hours, and my sister Olivia was born. . . . We could not tarry a day." (Doc. E) Death and disease was common place during these voyages. The longer the journey took, the more resources the expended, and with the lack of food, and especially water as explained in document I, those who survived the trip came out of it as different people. The lands west of the Mississippi are very rural, and mostly desert. Document A shows a map of the West which has a key for forests, grass lands, and deserts. The map shows that the vast majority of the land is desert or grassy plains. The vast relatively unlivable land meant that the land which could be settled, and cultivated had a high demand. Large towns such as
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The Indians and British also caused the West to develop the way it did. Document B, which is a message from James K. Polk to congress on December 2, 1845, references issues with the British, and how their proposed compromise would claim two thirds of the Oregon Territory. This message reveals that the British did not completely leave North America after the war like they were suppose to, and that they have caused some debate on what is American land to settle. The Oregon Territory was a very important place for the United States because of it's gold, and the towns which have already taken shape, but the British wanted to take control of many of these towns for economic gain. While the British were trying to get a part of American land, the Indians were struggling to keep what was left of their land before the Americans began moving west. "When I was at Washington the Great White Father told me that all the Comanche land was ours... So, why do you ask us to leave..." (Doc. H) The Indians were constantly being pushed back into smaller reserves so that Americans could settle in the west, and document H recounts an Indians reaction to this change. The Indians slowed, but did not halt the settlement of Americans in the West, but eventually the settlers got what they wanted. The land which they removed the Indians from was high value land which benefited the
The Indians and British also caused the West to develop the way it did. Document B, which is a message from James K. Polk to congress on December 2, 1845, references issues with the British, and how their proposed compromise would claim two thirds of the Oregon Territory. This message reveals that the British did not completely leave North America after the war like they were suppose to, and that they have caused some debate on what is American land to settle. The Oregon Territory was a very important place for the United States because of it's gold, and the towns which have already taken shape, but the British wanted to take control of many of these towns for economic gain. While the British were trying to get a part of American land, the Indians were struggling to keep what was left of their land before the Americans began moving west. "When I was at Washington the Great White Father told me that all the Comanche land was ours... So, why do you ask us to leave..." (Doc. H) The Indians were constantly being pushed back into smaller reserves so that Americans could settle in the west, and document H recounts an Indians reaction to this change. The Indians slowed, but did not halt the settlement of Americans in the West, but eventually the settlers got what they wanted. The land which they removed the Indians from was high value land which benefited the