Extend Your Learning
Historical Interpretations
The image of the American West during the late 19th century as a wild and lawless place populated by rugged individualists has been indelibly etched into our collective conscience by countless films and TV shows. Here, Dr. Chu presents a different perspective on Western settlement:
"The railroad has altered the perception of the patterns of Western settlement. Richard White, the noted historian of the West, says that the West was not an independent, freewheeling kind of place. It is a place that has probably been more dependent on government subsidies and the eastern markets than any part of the United States throughout its history."
Present Your Historical Interpretation
Discuss with your colleagues or reflect in your journal on the ways in which the West was dependent on other entities. Who or what in the West was dependent on government subsidies? Why? Why do you think the government wanted to subsidize them? In what ways was the West dependent on the East? What role did the railroads play in connecting the nation? Where can we find more information to help answer these questions? Why are these questions important?