As the country grew and expanded, the American people where always one to push their
bounds. In 1763, we proudly, defied England's proclamation of the year, and settled west
of the Appalachian mountains. A little later, the westward people pushed Indians,
animals, and society to a place where no American person had gone before. But all the
while, one important factor determined where they transported themselves, where they
settled, and what they did when they got there. This factor, the environment, profoundly
affected the settlers way of life, and other factors, such as the Indians and the
railroad, only aggravated a pre-existing condition.
The settlers of the late 1800's had only one way to get to the west- along the
pre-existing routes established by the courier-de-bois, Spanish settlers, and the Indians
of the past. These routes, which flowed through the only passable areas of the Rockies,
naturally led to Oregon and California, which caused an increase in the population of
these regions at the time. These trails, such as the Oregon Trail to the north, the
Mormon and Spanish Trail to the south, and the California and Overland trails in between
were very rough and bumpy, making the trek no easy task.
On the home front, the environment played an important role on the family life as well..
Women had a more prominent role in society as we shifted from the urbanized east to the
more agrarian west. They were expected to do more than they did in the past, such as make
the clothing everyone in the family wore, while the man was off toiling in the desert in
search for food. With an increased sense of independence, women had gained rights to vote
and proprietorship. But with this increased sense of independence came the added
responsibility of being the family doctor, chef, and provider of family comfort and
support. Women even faced the grim possibility of giving birth on the trail.
The environment also affected the health of the people who lived in the west. In the
middle of the desert, with scarce sources of food and water, the people and environment
became one. With the water remote and out of hand, the emigrants faced higher incidents
of dysentery and diarrhea, which stemmed from their inappropriate water supplies.
The environment also molded another aspect of our westward ancestors- their style of
architecture and development. In the east, where the land was expensive and hard to find,
people generally built towards the heavens. But in the lands west of the Mississippi,
where the land was found easily and very cheaply, the people generally built outward with
buildings no taller than two stories. Perhaps we should of learned from the Indians of
the past, who built in natural recesses in the mountains to provide natural protection
and shade.
But other factors also played a role in westward movement, although it's influence
wasn't as imposing as the environment. The people that already lived in those areas, the
Indians, naturally fought against these white faced foes to keep the land that was once
theirs. But other factors also played an important role. The railroad, for instance,
would ultimately decide which areas would become populated or not as this form of
transportation became a more comfortable mode of movement.
In conclusion, one can now see the extreme influence the environment played on the
westward settlers of the past. Not only did it influence where and how they settled, it
affected their way of life, livelihood, and general mood. While it may be said that
external factors such as the Indians and the railroad changed the direction of westward
movement, it was ultimately the environment that would decide where and how the people
settled.
|