What is the most important thing you learned about the American west?
According to history, the American West has been accumulated by people of all races. However, their relationship has not been easy (Lamar, 1998). One of the major things that can be learned from the American West is that it was a crossroad for many cultures. After Christopher Columbus had discovered Americas, many European nations were able to enter the land. It is also claimed that the European settlers were building their communities based on their ethnicity and religion.
History shows that the first African Americans to move to the West were cowboys, cooks, saloon workers, and farm hands (Deverell, 2004). During the Gold Rush era, about 4000 Buffalo soldiers were transported to California. Nevertheless, other African Americans who had been freed went to the West with the notion of searching for good life.
Most parts of West America is at the border of Mexico. History shows that some Hispanic nationalities who were living in Southern California became American citizens in 1884. The reason for this was because they had previously arrived during the colonial rule of the Spanish Empire. However, the numbers of Hispanic speakers increased by 1880. More Mexicans continued to arrive in America as refugees from the Revolution that occurred in 1911 (Snodgrass, 2015). However, some of the Hispanic people formed gangs that burnt houses and robbed people.
In the 19th century, Asians of many cultures entered America and many settled in Hawaii and California. The reason for this was because they were brought to build the transcontinental railroad and agriculture (Lamar, 1998). Therefore, this happened during the Gold Rush era in America. It is stated that most of the Asians that came to America were Chinese. In the beginning, for those who opted to remain in America were met with hostility. This fact caused them to have their own towns known as the Chinatowns. These places had bad reputations for prostitution and drugs. However, as years went by the areas have become one of the tourist attractions in America.
What would you still wish to learn about the American West?
Another thing that could be learned from the American West has to do with the Indian settlers. The Indian settlers were the original owners of the lands in America, and there is a need to know more about their existence and interactions with other races apart from the white settlers (Deverell, 2004).
What would you wish to emphasize to other students of the American West?
The students need to learn about the historical injustices that have occurred in American West. Many issues have occurred over the years that has shaped the West in the manner it is in the modern world. Examples could be that of the African Americans brought to the area only to find no land to settle into or to end up with living in less desirable places. The Asians were mistreated after they had built the transcontinental railroad, which was important during the Gold Rush era (Deverell, 2004). The Hispanic people were also met with the same fate as the African Americans and lived in the poorest places in American West. This fact is the main reason why they formed gangs.
Reference
Deverell, W. (2004). A Companion to the American West. Blackwell Companions to American History.
Lamar, H. (1998). The New Encyclopedia of the American West. Yale University Press.
Snodgrass, M. E. (2015). Settlers of the American West: The Lives of 231 Notable Pioneers. McFarland & Company.
