West The West Chapter Summary
She heavily emphasizes, “Western mines had created a social condition that would have been abhorrent to the framers of the Republic. Westward expansion was supposed to create a land of independent, agrarian landowners and to prevent the rise of a wage- dependent laboring population. In mining, the opposite happened” (124). The result of this dangerous occupation led increased difficulties in settlers’ lives, which increased the interest in striking it rich and potentially never having to work again. In addition, railroads also presented a hazard to many people, specifically the Chinese. Limerick writes, “Railroads eliminated the test of endurance, the thirst, and the physical exertion of the overland trail, and automobiles eliminated the railroads’ restrictions on individual choice and freedom of movement” (165). Although she addresses the positives outcomes of the railroad, Limerick previously mentioned how the Chinese worked on these railroads under harsh conditions. The Chinese risked death and extreme injuries in their work that of which fueled them to become one of the many foundations of western expansion due to their hard