This week we explore the concept of the "West"--a term we will continue to revisit later in the course. The readings investigate the formation of trading networks outside of the Atlantic World.
Points of Entry:
Pacific Northwest
Lakota Winter Counts:
Lewis and Clark:
"Frontier to Heartland":
Question for discussion:
What are the differences between the "frontier" and the "West?"
How does reorienting our perspective towards the Pacific Rim change our understanding of colonial history?
The difference between the frontier and the West is that the frontier was what was "unknown" and the west was what was against the pacific. The west was being settled long before what people really think. Most people think that the West was settled while the gold rush was going on when in reality it was before that. The reorienting of the Pacific Rim does change our perspective. We now can see that there is a different type of american history when you see it being settled from the West.
ReplyDeleteReorienting our perspective towards the Pacific Rim allows us to have a more complete understanding of colonial history. Instead of the traditional narrative that history started in the east and spread west, this approach reveals that the traditional narrative is incomplete. What was missing was an understanding of the history of the people who lived in the Pacific Rim and how the existence of their history is not solely contingent on the 13 colonies.
ReplyDeleteReorienting our study of history towards the Pacific Rim gives us a completely different perspective on history. When looked at from the European perspective moving from Europe to the West many biases rise. Although possibly unintentional, when the story is told by a certain population, about themselves, it will be told solely from their perspective. When you look at the Pacific Rim it gives you a different perspective and opens your eyes to things happening that wouldn't even be mentioned in the European story because it was so non-influential and trivial from their perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe "frontier" is used to describe an area on the fringes. An area on the margin of society away from settlements/civilization and protection; therefore encouraging a dislocated connotation. Moreover, the geographic area associated with the frontier expanded in all directions: north, south, east, and west. On the other hand, the "west" was far more specific in the direction called into question. For settlers, exploring the west allowed them to brake through the boundaries of the frontier. By traveling west settlers over came the restrictions implemented by nature. These limitations proved to be momentary as trailblazers sought numerous possibilities (both good and bad) within their graduated field of view. Mountains and rivers were no longer obstacles, nor would they prevent further advancement. By reorienting our perspective toward the Pacific Rim, our understanding of colonial history now expands to incorporate further struggles between Europeans and natives along the west coast of North America and the Pacific Ocean. Just as primary sources function to introduce new ideas and expand our understanding of events, this reorientation toward the West also operates to build on the collective knowledge that constructs American colonial history.
ReplyDeleteIn my eyes the frontier was an area unexplored by Europeans. Natives certainly lived in the frontier, but since few Europeans did it was considered a dangerous place. A frontier area could be anywhere: on the east coast or west coast, or in the north or south. But the area known as the "West" was not a frontier. The "West" was a highly populated area, with colonizers from Spain and Russia as well as Natives. While certain areas of the "West" may have been frontier, that cannot be said for the "West" as a whole. When people thought of the "West" they certainly thought of the areas that are modern California, Oregon, Washington, as well as a few other states. The "West" was a part of a large trade exchange known as the Pacific Rim. The trade allowed for goods from Asia and Polynesia to flow to America and vice versa.
ReplyDelete-Zach
ReplyDeleteThe difference between the west and the frontier was something that I believe was very subtle but important none the less. In describing the west, Europeans already had an established set of countries and territories that they included in their own world through trade and other forms of contact. When discussing the frontier, European's saw a part of land that was available to be settled on and taken for there own. The frontier presented opportunities for anyone willing to make the trip and effort.
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