Surname 2NameCourseDate1. What is your earliest memory.docx

Surname: 2
Name:
Course:
Date:
1. What is your earliest memory of the American West?
One of the most outstanding memories about the American
West was about the completion of the railroads to the following
civil war which opened up a vast number of places to settlement
and economic development. During that time, white settlers
from the East flocked into Mississippi for mining activities,
farming, as well as ranching. Besides, African-Americans
settlers also came into the West emanating from the Deep South
who were motivated by the promoters of all-black Western
towns that prosperity could be found there (White, 2015). Also,
diversity was intensified by the Chinese railroad workers within
the region’s population. It then led the settlement from the East
turn to Great Plains were the herds of Americans bison in the
area were virtually omitted from the place as farmers plowed
the area as well as the growth of cattle industry as the railroad
provided a practical means for getting the cattle to market.
2. From what sources did you learn about the West? This could
be anything from school to stories to TV shows to personal
experience.
I was able to learn about the American West from various
publications and articles available in the libraries of the
institution as well as commercial libraries. Besides, learning
about the West was made simpler by the availability of a wide
range of online materials of study related to the topic. The wide
range of online source equips one with the appropriate
information about the West in clear details. Besides, the
comparison of these sources enables one to acquire all the
relevant data about the West and its historical background with
regard to the American identity. Again, West is vastly presented
in films and TV shows were characters have enacted the events

of the period.
3. As you think about your perception of the American West,
what individuals populate that space? What kinds of events take
place? Set the scene of your imagined American West.
Imaginatively, I tend to perceive that the American West is
populated by some widely but inter-related individuals which
would be as a result of the different interaction of the different
individuals who migrated into the place. Having different races
within the same geographical setting means that mixed social,
economic and political events will be carried such as the rise of
support groups including women empowerment associations.
However, this factor leads to the eruption of newly invented
activities which would be suitable for all the participants in the
region which would traverse across all the races in the West.
Therefore, it means that new cultures and events will be
generated over time in the American West due to the
socialization with variant individuals from different races and
ethnic groups.
4. After you’ve drafted your post, read through it and identify at
least two images, pictures, TV/movie clips, or soundtracks that
embody your ideas of the American West and attach them to
your post.
A representation of the diverse social events carried out by
individuals in the American West. Retrieved from
http://www.artnet.com/artists/ray-swanson/events
A photo showing the mixed races on the American West natives
and immigrants participating in a common traveling circus.
Retrieved from https://www.historynet.com/traveling-circus-
american-spectacle-photographs.htm
References
White, R. (2015). It's your misfortune and none of my own: A
new history of the American West. University of Oklahoma
Press.
Running head: American west
1

American west
4
American west
Student’s name
Institutional affiliation
American west in relation to American identity
The last settlement of the west was completed in America. This
brought a self-image of the west to the country as it has been
considered always as the construction center of the American
identity. There have been a lot of historians all through the 20th
century who have been trying to assess this west significance
which has been regarded by many as the American part of
America. American west promoted democracy in America and
was the source of many American institutions which means,
American west made America up to where it is now. It brings
out the true American identity on how it all started.
Earliest memories of American west
The American frontier is one of the earliest memories of the
American west and this include; history, geography, cultural

expression and also folklore. All these were American
expansion forward wave that was taking place around the start
of the 17th century (Bernstein, 1990). Among the leading
personnel was Fredrick turner who argued that frontier was
actually what defined American civilization.
Sources of American west
Among the sources of the American west history include;
fiction and non-fiction books, journal articles and magazines,
images and photographs, diaries, speeches from historian,
letters, government documents, audio and film recordings,
adverts, company and organizational generated materials and
also court decisions. All these are primary sources that guide us
in American west and American history. All these help scholars
in exploring real tales of the early life, vigilantes, the
indigenous people and the outlaws. Some of the topics that are
covered in here include; the impact of expansion of the west and
the border lands life to the environment and urban center
growth. It is just an imagination of a region of the United
States.
Individuals populating the American west
It comprises of the most western states of America with
Europeans settlement that cover the west of river Mississippi.
Reference
Bernstein, B. (1990). Unsettling The Old West. The New York
Time Magazine, 18th March 1990 Section 6, 34

Running head: Ritcher’s chapter 6
1
Ritcher’s chapter 6
3
Ritcher’s chapter 6
Student’s name
Institutional affiliation
How race came to be a defining element of American identity
Race became a defining element of American identity, blacks
and whites are the two major races that are present in the United
States. Whites were the European colonialist who came to
colonize the natives who were the Indians. The Europeans make
the whites. The blacks came in as slaves from Africa and when
slave trade was establishes they had already settled so they.
The northern reo of America was known as Ohio country.
There were a lot of disputes concerning the land which took

place in the 17th century that involved the Native American
tribes with the Great Britain and France. Pontiac rebellion was
also part of the rebellious group that fought in the place. In the
long run the native won and Ohio became part of the United
States. The Pontiac’s were helped by Paxton boys uprising
movement fighting against the Indians so as to clean up the race
in the United States
Ways in which native history was taken and used by Americans
During the creation of United States, the natives were
considered semi-independent in a way and they lived in some
sort of communities which were separate from the settlers.
Federal government brought them to the laws of the land by
signing treaties to recognize these native nations. All the
natives were granted United States citizenship so as to make
them part of the society. They are the sole source of the type of
government running in the United States
Buffalo bill
He was an American hunter, scout and a showman. He was born
in lowa and lived in Toronto for some years before going to the
Midwest. His relevance in the American west was his buffalo
bills world west he brought up the company and made it among
the best in the united states, united kingdom and Europe at large
Reference
Carter, R. (2002). Buffalo Bill Cody. The Man Behind the
Legend. Wiley. P.512. ISBN 978-0-07780-0.

Running header: NATIVES AND EUROPEANS 1
NATIVES AND EUROPEANS 4
Natives and Europeans
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Daniel K. Richer is a leading historian of the Native experience
in British America and also a professor at the University of
Pennsylvania; he looked at the Europeans from the west of the
Indian country perspective. Because of the European
experience, the result becomes vital to understand, and it is also
important in its way since it I a reflection that is powerful on
the nature of writing the history of an indigenous population.
The book explains initial moments between the contact of native
Americans and Europeans in the 16th century. The writer,
Richter uses his intense critical perceptions to rebuild the

contours of the communities that are indigenous.he goes ahead
and examines changes in native’s material culture as a result of
trading with the Europeans, and also close attention is paid to
the demographic shocks which are s a result of the introduction
of devastating pathogens.
Question One
Three examples of the impact of perspective that have a
different impact on historical understanding include the
following. Firstly, the impact of perspective on trade. Most of
the trade activities followed the river lines; hence, they
crisscrossed the continent. The Indians participated in trade
with the Europeans. They exchanged a variety of good; for
instance, they exchanged corn for the meet. They also had
access to particularly valuable quarries where they took stones
that were to make various stone tools and weapons which could
be exchanged later with the Europeans. There was also long-
distance trade that majored on exotic products such as marine
shells and beads. The impact of perspective, in this case, is that
Indians developed good relations with Americans through trade
since they were able to trade with one another. Secondly, by the
year 1492, Mississippian cities were declining because they
were experiencing little ice age that greatly impacted
agricultural activity negatively because of the change in the
climate. It made the residents unable to grow and survive on
crops as they used to do. Many people who depended on crops
did not sustain themselves effectively, and thus, it led to
poverty as a result. Thus the impact of perspective in this
context is that the little ice age negatively affected these
persons. Thirdly, it led to the loss in faith among the religious
leaders for they pretended that they could control the forces that
altered the growth of crops. People of Mississippi lost faith in
these religious leaders; thus, they did not have a good
relationship with them.
Question Two
Native people, according to Richter, came into contact with
European things that they appreciated them. Firstly, native

people came into contact with copper that was a very valued
material that was fashioned, and it simplified an individual who
had it as privileged, and their social status was viewed as high.
Copper used to make a lot of items such as Jewellery, cutting
implements, weapons, and iron goods that were exchanged with
the native people. Secondly, the native people got in touch with
beads from the Europeans. These beads were used for various
purposes, such as making ornaments such as necklaces and
bracelets. The beads were also used for various artworks. The
natives exchanged several items for them to get beads since
they valued them greatly. Thirdly, the native people got woolen
blankets and that they replaced animal skin. The Europeans
introduced these clothes and blankets to the native people who
valued them.
Question Three
Native and European land had different views of land use,
natives viewed land as a resource which could not in itself be
owned any more than could the air or sea while the Europeans
viewed land as a commodity that was itself inherently and
irrevocable owned with all its resources. Also, natives often
planted one type of crop on their lands while Europeans planted
two to three types of plants on their farms. The impact of
European settlement affected land in the following ways; the
natives adopted the use of plow and sickle, unlike their use of a
digging stick. Additionally, they adapted the growth of
numerous crops on the farm to prevent specialized weeds and
pests that attacked specific crops. Lastly, it led to the
dependence of European trade(Sabo & Richter, 2010).
Reference
Sabo, G., & Richter, D. K., (2010). Facing East from Indian
Country: A Native History of Early America. The Arkansas
Historical Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.2307/40028036

R
unning
header: NATIVES AND EUROPEANS
1
N
atives
and Europeans
S
tudent
’
s Name
I
nstitution
Affiliation
Running header: NATIVES AND EUROPEANS 1

Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Surname: 6
Name:
Course:
Date:
How is your perspective affected by your race, class, or gender?
American Studies emphasizes the need to examine history and
culture from a variety of perspectives. Because we often
interpret events only through our own personal experience, it is
important to consciously examine the lens through which we
view the world. Take a couple of minutes to think about your
own lens and describe its components. Choose one event from
your life and describe how you would have perceived it
differently had you interpreted it through a different lens. How
is your perspective affected by your race, your class, or your
gender?
Race, class, and gender greatly shape the experiences of
many individuals as well as their perspectives. Related studies
have been conducted to interpret this idea as interlocking
categories of experience as they affect various aspects of life.
Besides, it has an impact on one’s life and structuring the
experiences of my life within society. Personally, I feel that
race, gender, and class makes me feel more salient and
meaningful as they provide an overlapping and cumulative as
they all impact my experiences. Thinking rationally, I untangle
these aspects of social systems which help shape the
experiences about different groups which make me able to move

beyond comparing gender oppression with race (Coates, 2015).
Additionally, have been able to compare situations such as the
oppression of gays and lesbians to the aspect of racial groups.
Through this, I am able to recognize the systems of power
which mark diverse groups experiences and how they possess
the conceptual apparatus to think of changing the system instead
of only documenting the impacts of each system on different
people. Therefore, I have been able to understand how the
structural patterns affect individual consciousness, group
interaction as well the group access to the institutional power
and privileges.
Q1. How does Coates describe/define “race”? There are some
specific examples on pp. 7 if you are struggling to understand
his perspective.
According to the article, Coates clarifies on the idea of
race as a defined and indubitable feature of the natural world.
Besides, the aspect of race precedes the notion of racism which
is the need to ascribe bone-deep features to individuals and then
humiliate, reduce, and destroy them as it inevitably follows this
inalterable state. Through this, Coates notes that racism is the
innocent daughter of mother nature as it leaves one to explore
any phenomena cast beyond the hard work of men (Coates,
2015). However, he states the race is caused by racism but
racism is not as a result of the race. Through racism which
results in race distinctions, ‘new people’ are generated and
isolated from the rest as they are termed different. The new
individuals as just like a modern invention as their new titles
have no realistic meanings divorced from their machinery of
criminal abilities. Thus, the new people created as a result of
race are different from their original selves.
Q2. Coates spends considerable time exploring “the black body”
and how it is controlled and violated by dominant white culture.
Take a couple of minutes to do a quick internet search on the
individuals he names – Eric Garner, Renisha McBride, John
Crawford, Tamir Rice, Marlene Pinnock, Michael Brown, and
Trayvon Martin. What similarities do you find in their stories?

What theme(s) would you use to characterize their experiences?
Exploring the ideas presented in “the black body” by
Coates, he makes an address of the brutal killings and
exploitations accorded to the non-whites in the nation.
Reflecting on the cases of Eric Garner, Renisha McBride, John
Trayvon Martin, there are significant aspects which are common
across all these cases. Of all these cases, black lives have been
presented to be at the verge of perishing as a result of white
people brutality. Besides, the theme of death runs throughout all
these scenarios such as the case of police officer Darren Wilson
Killing Michael Brown (Coates, 2015). Again, the black people
stated in all these cases experienced discrimination simply
because of their skin color which led to the formation of the
‘black lives matter’ initiative meant to protect the blacks. The
white people's culture did not fully accept the existence of
blacks as part of their contemporary society and this was the
cause for such brutal killings. Therefore, I would use the aspect
of death as a common aspect in characterizing all these cases of
black people brutality in the hands of the whites.
Q3. Towards the end of the first section of the text (pp. 69-70),
Coates makes the point that American slavery affected
individual people. How would you characterize your historical
education regarding slavery? Were you ever taught about the
individual experience of enslaved people? Or were you
presented with a more generalized version of American racial
history? Hypothesize about the impact your historical awareness
has on the way(s) that you perceive contemporary racial issues.
Slavery has been accustomed to being a leading cause of
very many social issues which have an ultimate impact on
individuals and the community as a whole. Reading articles
about slavery helps one get a clear insight into the impacts of
this social irregularity which leads to a divided society.
Furthermore, the information presented about slavery was a
specific study about the American racial occurrences. Slavery
occurs directly to an individual and this as one id deterred from

exercising their rights and freedoms in a given social context
(Coates, 2015). As per the American history, both women and
men were accustomed to slavery which led to great impacts on
the socialization between individuals. Hypothesizing on the
issue of slavery, it is clear that it leads to great negative results
such as the creation of social class distinctions between people.
The enslaved individuals are barred from practicing most of
their rights in the society while their masters are the
determinants of their fate.
Q4. Based on the mini-lecture, describe both the essential
elements of the Myth of the Self-Made Man, as well as the main
criticisms of it.
According to the mini-lecture, the main element of the
myth of self-made man is capitalism. The claim is the
capitalism makes opportunities available to all and all are
responsible for their fate. Besides, the self-made man has other
variant elements which include the idea of protestant work
ethic. As per the protestant work ethic, it is mainly based on the
hard work of any individual pursuing success. Additionally,
there is the element of luck but as per the readings, luck is can
only be earned by only those who deserve to get lucky. Besides,
there is the idea of power mobility where one begins from the
poor then climb the ladder to end rich where a good example is
Abraham Lincoln (Saad Al, 2019). However, the critics of this
include the idea that it focuses only on the self to the exclusion
of context and community. Secondly, it assumes the social
Darwinism as it is inherently better since is successful. Lastly,
it is gendered and legitimizes greed and glorifies promotion.
Q5. Based on the mini-lecture, what are the six main
components of Victorian Era masculinity? Be sure to describe
each component fully.
As per the mini-lecture, the first component of Victorian
Era masculinity was the idea of controlling passions so as to
showcases aspects of emotions and being extreme. Secondly,
one was expected to showcase a strong character meaning you
would do what was honorable. One was also expected to

exercise authority mainly over women, children, and employees.
It was also necessary to protect and control where you were
supposed to care for all those who were less powerful. The fifth
component in his era was that of procreating and produce
children and a family. The last component of Victorian Era
masculinity was being able to provide responsibility financially.
Hence, through the exhibition of these components, one was
ultimately termed to be masculine and powerful.
References
Coates, T. N. (2015). Between the world and me. Text
publishing. Retrieved from
https://www.mercerislandschools.org/cms/lib3/WA01001855/Ce
ntricity/Domain/640/ Ta-Nehisi%20Coates%20PDF.pdf
Saad Al, (2019). 3 1, Self-Made Man, Part I 1002. Retrieved
from https://youtu.be/- vd_7QTJtlI
Saad Al, (2019). 3 2, Self-Made Man, Part II 823. Retrieved
from https://youtu.be/utMOh-P- gQU

Surname: 2
Name:
Course:
Date:
Q1. Based on your reading of Richter’s Chapter 6, describe in
detail how race came to be a defining element of American
identity. For full credit, be sure to address Pontiac, Ohio
Country, the Paxton Boys, and President Andrew Jackson.
According to Richter’s, when the British attempted to
grasp eastern North America using the peace treaty signed in
1763, events began to turn bloody in the backcountry. The near-
simultaneous rise of the nativist movement led by Pontiac of the
Ohio Country and the barbarous attacks on Natives perpetrated
by the Paxton Boys in Pennsylvania made 1763 a turning point
in American history. From that moment on, Natives and
colonists began increasingly to understand themselves as two
fundamentally different groups of people (Richter, 2009).
Eventually, this belief would crystallize in the doctrine of racial
distinction hence the idea that the indigenous peoples of the
Americas sprang from different origins than those of the Old
World. More to the point, Richter’s argument traces President
Andrew Jackson’s loathsome ethnic cleansing from the east to
the Mississippi but does not follow this logic further by
exploring what the indigenous peoples of modern-day Oklahoma
and Kansas thought of the migrants who moved into their
territory.
Q2. In the Epilogue, Richter explains that Native peoples were
an integral part of the formation of the United States, but that
the narrative of American identity required the removal of that
reality. He offers a number of examples of “appropriation” –
ways in which Native history was taken and used by White
Americans. Choose at least two examples of this from the text
to describe and explain, and then include at least one
contemporary example of this “appropriation” in current
American culture.
Richter offers various imaginative narrations of the

American identity as it needed some removal of its reality. He
presents the lives of seventeenth-century canonical figures such
as the Virginia Algonquian Pocahontas which was prominently
made famous by Captain John Smith. There was also the
Mohawk Kateri who was described in details and made
interesting to hear of by Pope John Paul II. Again, another
appropriation made by Richter was that of the Wampanoag
known to the English as “King Philip” who, as according to the
traditional history, inspired the bloody war against Puritan New
England (Richter, 2010). Richter convincingly argues that each
of all of these sought cooperation rather than conflict,
coexistence on shared regional patches of the ground rather than
arms-length contact across distant frontiers. In the current
American culture, individuals tend to appropriate the idea of
making America great again by the administrative government
of the present.
Q3. Based on the mini-lectures, who was Buffalo Bill? What
were his background and experience?
Buffalo Bill Cody was one of the true legends of the
American West. During his time, he was one of the most
popular and well-known man alive. He was a huge celebrity was
and still is vital due to his contributions at his time. He was
responsible for the construction of the ideas and structures of
the prominent Wild West. Besides, he carefully guarded and
created the ways through which he was being portrayed in the
vast number of distinctive images produced of him (Saad Al,
2019). He was born in 1846 and died in about 1917 where
during his time, he was highly energetic and captivating
individual where he served in various tasks such as being an
actor, a writer, served as an army scout, pop culture hero, and a
promoter.
Q4. Based on the mini-lectures, why did Buffalo Bill matter?
What was his impact on thinking about the American West?
The most outstanding feature of Buffalo Bill Coby was the
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the
World which had a lot of impact through the Wild West.

Through a story presented during his show, it raised the
concerns about wild, racially biased, and conquest. It had an
effect on the culture throughout America to Europe which led
the show to be marketed as a historical fact (Saad Al, 2019).
Furthermore, he mixed fact and truths with fantasy to create
interesting stories which he claimed were the real events by
humans. It had a lot of impact with regard to the American West
since the main theme of the show was the violence and brutality
of native Americans, the victimization of wild immigrants, and
the triumph of Euro-Americans over the native people.
References
Richter, D. K. (2009). Facing east from Indian country: a native
history of early America. Harvard University Press.
Richter, D. K., & Merrell, J. H. (Eds.). (2010). Beyond the
Covenant Chain: The Iroquois and Their Neighbors in Indian
North America, 1600-1800. Penn State Press.
Saad Al, (2019). 2 1, Buffalo Bill, Part I 436. Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/u3Bd7NhgdnY
Saad Al, (2019). 2 2, Buffalo Bill, Part I 436. Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/Yn2uY47pVtY
1. Watch mini-lecture 3-1, Self-Made Man, Part I
https://youtu.be/-vd_7QTJtlI
2. Watch mini-lecture 3-2, Self-Made Man, Part II
https://youtu.be/utMOh-P-gQU
3. Read Coates’s Between the World and Me, Part I, pp. 1-71.
https://www.mercerislandschools.org/cms/lib3/WA01001855/Ce
ntricity/Domain/640/Ta-Nehisi%20Coates%20PDF.pdf
5. do the initial discussion post “ an essay “
6. do the second discussion. “ Each question must be answered
with one paragraph as least 7-10 sentences “
· Initial discussion
How is your perspective affected by your race, class, or gender?
American Studies emphasizes the need to examine history and

culture from a variety of perspectives. Because we often
interpret events only through our own personal experience, it is
important to consciously examine the lens through which we
view the world. Take a couple of minutes to think about your
own lens and describe its components. Choose one event from
your life and describe how you would have perceived it
differently had you interpreted it through a different lens. How
is your perspective affected by your race, your class, or your
gender?
· Second Discussion
Q1
How does Coates describe/define “race”? There are some
specific examples on pp. 7 if you are struggling to understand
his perspective.
Q2
Coates spends considerable time exploring “the black body” and
how it is controlled and violated by dominant white culture.
Take a couple of minutes to do a quick internet search on the
individuals he names – Eric Garner, Renisha McBride, John
Trayvon Martin. What similarities do you find in their stories?
What theme(s) would you use to characterize their experiences?
Q3
Towards the end of the first section of the text (pp. 69-70),
Coates makes the point that American slavery affected
individual people. How would you characterize your historical
education regarding slavery? Were you ever taught about the
individual experience of enslaved people? Or were you
presented with a more generalized version of American racial
history? Hypothesize about the impact your historical awareness
has on the way(s) that you perceive contemporary racial issues.
Q4

Based on the mini-lecture, describe both the essential elements
of the Myth of the Self-Made Man, as well as the main
criticisms of it.
Q5
Based on the mini-lecture, what are the six main components of
Victorian Era masculinity? Be sure to describe each component
fully.

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