lecture 13

Overview of Frontier History

• Fighting on the Frontier: Discussion of conflicts mainly between cowboys and Native Americans during westward expansion.

• Role of Cowboys: Cowboys ensured cattle were able to graze by managing grasslands, indicative of the agrarian lifestyle.

• Myth of the Frontier: The narrative of the frontier emphasizes valiant cowboys and exaggerated masculinity. This romanticism distracts from the material realities of land theft and conflict.

Material Realities vs. Symbolic Narratives

• Material Relationships: The expansion involved stealing land, extracting resources, and committing violence against Indigenous peoples.

• Significance of Reading: Examination of Patricia Nelson Limerick's "New Western History," Frederick Jackson Turner's views on frontier history, and Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz's Indigenous perspectives.

• Interpretation Focus: Need to understand territorial expansion, settlement patterns and their socio-economic implications.

Territorial Expansion

• Initial Territorial Claims: The claims of the federal government from the late 18th century onward, settlement patterns by European settlers.

• Military Encounters: There were significant military encounters along frontier lines, specifically between British and colonial forces in the 17th and 18th centuries.

• Louisiana Territory: Controlled by France until 1803, Florida by Spain until 1819, pivotal in the context of westward expansion.

Settlement Patterns

• Texas Independence: Texas seceded from Mexico in 1836, driven by cotton planters’ expansion desires for slavery and grazing land.

• Mexican-American War: Initiated under false claims, resulting in significant territorial acquisition for the U.S.

• Post-Louisiana Purchase Movement: Notable westward migration initiated after 1815 due to economic opportunities and new agricultural land.

• Erie Canal and Agricultural Expansion: Development of canals enabled economic growth and facilitated migration west from the East Coast.

Agricultural Challenges and Settlements

• Water Availability: West of the 98th meridian, successful agriculture required extensive irrigation due to limited rainfall.

• Oregon Settlement: The Willamette Valley suited for agriculture due to ample water resources, leading to settlement disputes with Britain.

• Mormon Migration: The Latter-day Saints facing expulsion created significant settlements around the Great Salt Lake.

Gold Rush of 1848

• Global Influx: The California gold rush attracted migrants worldwide looking for economic opportunities.

• Economic and Social Diversity: Migration driven by various factors including escaping persecution and seeking fortune.

Role of Government in Expansion

• Land Distribution Policies: Government policies aimed at small parcel distribution among settlers, but often uneven in practice, particularly west of the 98th meridian.

• Legal Frameworks for Land Rights: Establishment of ownership rights tied to legal and ideological narratives surrounding property.

• Military and Sovereignty Claims: State power played a crucial role in removing indigenous claims and facilitating colonial expansion.

Narratives and Myths as Social Charters

• Importance of Myths: Myths create rationales for expansion and social order that shape American identity and settlement patterns.

• Historical Dualism: A longstanding narrative dividing settlers and Indigenous peoples, framing conflicts politically and ideologically.

• Frontier Myths: Concepts of heroic frontiersman juxtaposed with the perceptions of lawlessness and moral ambiguity on the frontier.

Changing Perspectives on Frontier Settlement

• Cultural Dynamics: Historical perspectives often portray Indigenous cultures as static and settler contributions as superior.

• Backwoodsman vs. Yeoman: The transformation of the crude backwoodsman narrative into the ideal of the noble yeoman farmer reflects evolving societal values.

• Democratic Ideals: Agrarian ideals underpinning land settlement intended to create a democracy grounded in property ownership.