In week two in chapters 8-16 in which we read the first subject of interest for me was explored in chapter 10. “Open Range” documents how early settlers from the Spanish to the English dealt with the push west. The term wild west was very true in its description in chapter 10. The introduction of cattle and the horse turned the western landscape into a never before seen free for all. Staple American icons were developed in this period. The “cow boy,” American beef, rodeo, and the ranch will forever be in our terminology. In chapter 10 it was also mentioned how difficult the life of such a person(cow hand) could be. The strenuous work could put a most people into a depression. A second subject I found of interest was in chapter 12. This chapter deals with the search for community. A more focused subject is in the 1860s and the journeys of the Mormons. Comprised of mostly people from England who wanted the most serene and private land to establish their strict beliefs the Mormons made it all the way to Utah(can be disputed on how they picked their spot to settle since in Mormon faith it was picked by a supreme being). But needless to say thr Mormon faith is one of the most famous example of the type of refuge that could be gained in such an area like the west. With the lack of people and resources the faith followed the lay of the land and become very simple and to this day is very prominent in the west.
Sample research questions:
1. How significant was the introduction of the horse to the western United States?
2. What was the progression in herding technology from the Spanish west to the English west?
3. How significant were the actual cowboys to the safety and success of the old west ranches?
4. Was the Mormon excursion more part of a religious journey or a move of isolation?
5. What was the Mormons daily life based on in the 1860 west?
