HIS 17B Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ghost Dance, Frontier Thesis, Manifest Destiny
Document Summary
Takeaways: culture: the violent nature of westward expansion, the creation of the mythic american west, and how it continues to pervade our, same arguments used to justify expansion as moved into the pacific, caribbean. Europeans" see their arrivals to america and taking over of the natives land as manifest destiny . Europeans = superior/god"s will, natives = inferior. God wanted europeans to spread democracy and take control. Lady liberty is often used in picture as the european god guiding the native americans. Concept of enlightenment, european ways of living(farms,railroads)etc. Several trails were used to move west and conquer space. Mormons escaping from fed government that restricted their practices. People have their own concept about how the land should be used. Government allowed male citizens (or those who declare to be citizens) the right to go west and choose 160 acres of land from government + improve the land.
