The Western Experience

Choose one of the following people and document your experiences, in first person, as someone living in the 19th century.

• A female pioneer on the Oregon trail
• A Mormon pioneer in Utah
• A gold miner in California
• A Shoshoni Indian in Wyoming when Europeans arrived
• A white slave owner in Mexican Texas
• A Mexican Tejano or Tejana in American Texas
• A soldier at the Alamo during the battle
• A Native American displaced into Oklahoma

Write a 700- to 1,050-word journal entry, either as a story or an explanation, that includes the following:

• A description of the social, economic, and political forces of the times
• A description of the acquisition of the territory where you live by the United States and a discussion of the effects of the acquisition on your life; for example, if you chose to be a Mormon pioneer, discuss the United States’ acquisition of the Utah territory and discuss its effect on people living in the territory at the time.

Cite and reference all sourced material consistent with APA guidelines.