Interpretations of the West

306 Interpretations of the West Instructions: Respond to the prompts below in the right hand column. All sources can be found in Canvas’ Interpretations of the West Module Overview page. The Significance of the Frontier in American History Prompt Response Provide a brief summary of the source above (3-4 sentences) After reading The Significance of the Frontier in American History it is clear to me that Tuner argues the frontier was a building block for our society. Turner explains how the frontier helped pave the way for individualism and innovation which in of itself helped build many American characteristics. These characteristics are that of being independent and self-reliant, adaptation, and finally social and technological development as they faced new challenges during the frontier. What is Turner’s interpretation of the West? Include a quote from the source that supports your point. Make sure to put the quote in “”. Interpretation : Turner’s interpretation of the West was more than just viewing this area as a region but rather a building block for American society and democracy. Quote : “The rise of democracy as an effective force in the nation came in with western preponderance under Jackson and William Henry Harrison, and it meant the triumph of the frontier…A primitive society can hardly be expected to show the intelligent appreciation of the complexity of business interests in a developed society. The continual recurrence of these areas of paper-money agitation is another evidence that the frontier can be isolated and studied as a factor in American history of the highest importance.” 1

How might when it was produced (1893) affect the author’s thesis/interpretation? (You may need to hypothesize) Explain in 3-4 sentences. I believe that in the time period upon which this was published (1893) it can affect the authors interpretation several different ways. One being that with new territory comes new challenges and with new challenges comes room to build new ways to face those. I believe this is why Turner has such a strong interpretation for the building blocks of American society as society had to make major changes the more they discovered. Imagined Wests Film Provide a brief summary of the film (3-4 sentences) After watching the Imagined West a brief summary of the film would be surrounding the importance and significance of the Autry Museum and the mural inside. The original 1988 mural contained inside the museum depicted a story about the west that wasn’t entirely true. The Mural praised white settler colonialism while not showing the other perspectives of the different races involved at this time What is the film’s interpretation of the West? Include a quote from the film that supports your point. Make sure to put the quote in “”. Interpretation : I believe the film's interpretation of the West is to show the full picture. While yes there is great history of western expansion, it wasn’t the prettiest and the museum is what brings a better perspective of the true past. Quote : “So understanding what happened from a wide variety of sources and voices that brings us closer to understanding the past. If you ignore those, you end up with this kind of triumphalist narrative that the North American West was brought in to the United States in kind of an adventurous, rollicking, frontier narrative and that's simply not true.” How might when the film was produced (21st century) affect the thesis/interpretation? (You may need to hypothesize) Explain in 3-4 sentences. I think with this film being published in the 21st century it definitely changes the interpretation as it is more understanding and more heartfelt for those that were negatively affected. What I mean by this is that there 2

How might when the poem was written/published (1919) affect the way the West is described? (You may need to hypothesize) Explain in 3-4 sentences. I believe that since this poem had been published in 1919 it could have very well affected the way the west was described as the west was still very new and a region of land seen as new opportunities that was much different than what the east was at this time. “The West Without Chili” by Larry McMurtry Provide a brief summary of the chapter above (3-4 sentences) “The West Without Chili” by Larry McMurtry describes how chili has become a symbol of significance for the American west. McMurtry explains how chili is more than just a food and shows the culture of the west and their appreciation for the food. The chili is supposed to represent that rugged life of a cowboy and is why you often see chili is celebrated through songs and food festivals. What is McMurtry’s interpretation of the West? Include a quote from the source that supports your point. Make sure to put the quote in “”. Interpretation : I believe McMurtry’s interpretation of the west is a place of tradition and cultural appreciation. By celebrating chili you are celebrating a staple of Texan cooking and a piece of nostalgia for many cowboys and people of the west. Quote : “For the letter C alone I can suggest two additions, the first being chili. In this increasingly secular age, what to put in chili-or what to exclude-provokes the nearest thing to religious argument to be heard in the modern West, while the great chili cookout held annually in Terlingua, Texas, is a loose equivalent of the Council of Nicea, in which many heresies are defined and many schismatics cast out.” How might when the book was written/published (2001) affect the thesis/interpretation? (You may need to hypothesize) Explain in 3-4 sentences. Given the book was written in 2001 I believe the interpretation of the west could be affected as this was only 23 years ago and many of these traditions are still in place which show the significance of the interpretation. 4

Infographic, Image or Meme Find an image or meme that helps you assess how the American West is defined and the complexity of it as a region of study. Explain how the image relates to that assessment in 3-4 sentences. Explanation: I believe this picture to be a good assessment of the American west for a handful of reasons. One being that Native Americans are shown here in the picture doing “cowboy” work if you will roping wild horses. You can also see the location is very dry and dusty showing that western geographical location which I believe to be a key detail when you think of the American west. Image: 5