Westward Expansion, NA short stories, Whitman Poetry

Trains and Native American History Outline

Overview: The Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869 and connected the eastern U.S. rail network with the Pacific Coast, revolutionizing travel and trade.
Race to Completion: Two companies, the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad, raced to lay tracks, facing significant engineering challenges, treacherous terrain, and harsh weather conditions.
Labor Force: The construction relied heavily on immigrant labor, particularly Chinese workers for the Central Pacific and Irish workers for the Union Pacific, who faced dangerous conditions, discrimination, and low wages.
Technological Innovations: The use of new technologies, such as the telegraph for communication and steam-powered machinery, significantly expedited the construction process.
Cultural Impact: The railroad facilitated westward expansion, allowing for easier migration, the movement of goods, and contributed to the destruction of Native American lands and lifestyles.
Meeting Point: The meeting point at Promontory Summit, Utah, marked the symbolic unification of the country and was celebrated with the driving of the Golden Spike.

Gold Rushes: Discovery of gold in western areas, few struck it rich.
Americanization: Forcing Native Americans to lose their culture in favor of white culture.
Manifest Destiny: Belief in U.S. expansion across North America to spread democracy and capitalism.

Custer’s Last Stand: Battle of Little Big Horn (June 25-26, 1876) between Indigenous people and U.S. military over land control.
Oklahoma Sooners/Land Races: Races for land by people marked with flags.
Loss of Buffalo: Excessive hunting led to buffalo endangerment.
Extreme Winters: Native Americans had to adapt to harsh conditions for survival.

Created to remove Native Americans from their homes and promote Americanization.

Universal themes: Movement, dancing, buffalo ceremonies, mourning practices.
Narrative Techniques: Characters and plots used to depict Native American life.

Diction: Simple and accessible language.
Poetic Formation:
- Free Verse: No rhythm or rhyme scheme.
- Meter: Patterns of stressed/unstressed syllables.
- Enjambment and Caesura: Enhance sound.
Tone and Themes: Ignorant, optimistic, celebratory; focuses on land and individuality.
Figurative Language:
- Metaphor vs. Simile: Comparing without (metaphor) vs. with like/as (simile).
- Personification, symbolism, epiphany, and apostrophes used.
Walt Whitman: Wrote about American history, included personal war experience and beauty of America.