The Western Experience and 19th-Century Ideas

Choose one of the following people and document your experiences, in first person, as someone living in the 19th century:

A female pioneer on the Oregon Trail
A Mormon pioneer in Utah
A gold miner in California
A Shoshoni Indian in Wyoming when Europeans arrived
A White slave owner in Mexican Texas
A Mexican Tejano or Tejana in American Texas
A soldier at the Alamo during the battle
A Native American displaced into Oklahoma
Write a 350- to 700-word journal entry, either as a story or an explanation, that includes the following:

Describe the social, economic, and political forces of the times.
Describe the U.S. acquisition of the territory, where you live and discuss the effects of the acquisition on your life. (For example, if you chose to be a Mormon pioneer, discuss the United States’ acquisition of the Utah territory, and discuss its effect on people living in the territory at the time.)
Cite your sources consistent with APA guidelines.

Choose one of the following people and document your experiences, in first person, as someone living in the 19th century:

Solution Preview

Life on the trail was a lonely one. The shock of packing up all of our belongings in a wagon had not worn off. But, I was one of the many women who were left shocked and who had no desire to be on the journey. The journey which I was involved in would involve driving our small herd of cattle while we climb the mountains and roam the prairies in search of food and the fuel we would use for our lamps.

(614 words)