Undaunted Courage Robert Morgan Analysis

In his essay titles “There Is No True History of the Westward Expansion,” Robert Morgan makes several claims regarding the history of westward expansion. His main claim, as stated in the title, is that no one hundred percent accurate history exists that details this time period. In his speech “Chief Joseph Speaks,” Chief Joseph of the Nez Percé tribe details the harsh and unfair actions of the white man. In chapter four of Undaunted Courage, Stephen Ambrose chronicles Thomas Jefferson’s American dream. The chapter is filled with Jefferson’s dreams and ambitions regarding westward exploration and expansion. In chapter thirty three of Undaunted Courage, Stephen Ambrose records the events that transpired directly following the the famed Lewis and Clark expeditions. Robert Morgan’s theory that no true history of western expansion exists is based on the fact that …show more content…
For example, Ambrose states, “The potential of the United States was, if not limitless, certainly vast—and vastly greater if the nation could add the trans-Mississippi portion of the continent to its territory. In 1801, however, it was not clear the country could hold on to its existing territory between the Appalachians and the Mississippi, much less add more western land.” This quote reveals the insecurities of the young American nation. The fears of survival far outweighed any semblance of compassion towards the native peoples of the continent. This particular chapter is filled with information about Jefferson’s rationale behind exploiting the western two thirds of the North American continent. Therefore, this author and source are biased towards the white man in the sense that the author is apparently blind to the atrocities committed by American settlers against the native