1. Westward Expansion
Although people had begun to move westward almost from the beginnings of European settlement in America, the era of westward expansion began in earnest in the mid-19th century. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States and opened a vast new territory for settlement. The Lewis and Clark expedition explored this territory in 1804 and 1805, and other explorers and fur traders continued to gather information about the West during the first half of the century. Beginning in the 1840s, pioneers set out on the Oregon Trail hoping to build new lives on the Great Plains, in the mountains, or in Oregon Territory. Over the next few decades, thousands of settlers headed west in search of farmland and gold and other minerals. In the process, the new arrivals interrupted the lifestyles and livelihoods of Native Americans and changed the Western landscape forever.

2. Table of Contents Manifest Destiny The Gold Rush Frontier Life
This presentation will discuss these aspects of westward expansion.
Native Americans
The Myth of the West

3. Manifest Destiny Expansion to the Pacific
Seen as obvious and inevitable
Not necessarily a religious idea
Spread of democracy and European-American lifestyle
Exterminate or convert Native Americans
Tame the western landscape
“Manifest Destiny” was the popular 19th-century notion that the United States would—and should—inevitably expand westward all the way to the Pacific Ocean. “Manifest” means obvious, and its use here implied that there was no question such expansion should occur. “Destiny” indicated that many Americans believed westward expansion was inevitable—and right. Those of a more religious character saw this destiny as ordained by God; however, the less pious also believed in Manifest Destiny, seeing it as a sign of the “greatness” of the American people.
The concept of Manifest Destiny included not only geographic expansion but also the spread of American-style democracy and the European-American belief system across the continent. In order for this to happen, European-Americans would have to subdue and either exterminate Native American populations or convert them to the European-American way of life. The course of Manifest Destiny would also require the “taming” of the Western landscape so that settlers could grow crops and continue the lifestyles they had become accustomed to “back East.”

4. Give students approximately one minute to view the painting, then proceed to the following slides.
Manifest Destiny

5. What do you think the woman in this picture represents?
The woman represents Manifest Destiny. She is leading pioneers and railroads westward toward the frontier, away from what’s probably meant to be the Mississippi River. As she floats through the air she strings telegraph wires. Her flowing white robes, long hair, and the light radiating around her head give her the appearance of angel leading the country to its destiny. She’s holding a book; it’s most likely a schoolbook and probably is meant to represent the bringing of education to the frontier.
What do you think the woman in this picture represents?
What is she doing?

6. These men are plowing a field
These men are plowing a field. Converting “unused” land to farmland symbolized progress for many Americans in the 19th century. As pioneers moved farther west, they continued to plow new land—even as it became more rugged, arid, and difficult to farm. The men in this picture do not look like they're having a difficult time with their plowing; it is an idealized image of what it was like to start a farm on the frontier.
What are these people doing, and why do you think they are in the picture?

7. What does this part of the picture show? What is its significance?
These are bison (commonly called buffalo), which inhabited the Great Plains in large numbers before the pioneers arrived. In this picture, they are being driven westward along with everyone else. Their inclusion in the painting may indicate that a part of Manifest Destiny involved driving wild creatures off the land so that it could be settled. It could also represent the hunting of the bison: the herd might be running away from men on horseback trying to kill it.
What does this part of the picture show?
What is its significance?

8. Who else is being forced westward? What is happening here?
Similarly, this group of Native Americans moves westward. Along the way, they hunt buffalo, an important part of Native American culture on the Great Plains. This way of life is pushed out of the picture as the pioneers arrive.
Who else is being forced westward?
What is happening here?

9. Why do you think this bear was included in this part of the picture?
The bear is also being driven westward and is moving ahead of the pioneers. Bears represented wild and untamed nature, which the pioneers are forcing out of the picture with their technology, farming implements, and spirit of Manifest Destiny.
Why do you think this bear was included in this part of the picture?

10. Can you tell what is going on here?
It’s hard to see the detail in this part of the picture, but it appears to show a long line of pioneers heading westward. This background activity reveals the large influx of people to the West.

11. Why do you think the artist painted this picture?
This is a famous painting by John Gast from around 1873 titled “American Progress.” Gast painted a romanticized picture of the westward movement. He may have wanted to share with audiences his impression of westward expansion as a concrete sign that the promises of Manifest Destiny were being fulfilled.
Why do you think the artist painted this picture?
What is the larger message he was trying to convey about Manifest Destiny?

12. The California Gold Rush
Sutter’s Mill—1848
‘49ers
Little law and order
Supporting businesses
Growth of towns and cities
The term “gold rush” refers to a large and rapid influx of people to an area in which potentially large amounts of gold have been discovered. After the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in the California mountains in 1848, thousands of men from places farther east (and from other countries) headed to California in search of fortunes. Very few of them actually became rich, and many died en route to the mining camps or during their stays. These men were called “‘49ers” because the Gold Rush began in earnest in 1849.
California did not become a state until During the California Gold Rush, there was little in the way of organized government and not much law and order. The early miners lived in a free-for-all situation in which anyone could set up camp and try their luck in the mines without the interference of authorities. This atmosphere changed quickly, however, as miners began to structure their own sets of rules and regulations, particularly with regard to how a person could stake a claim to gold. Nevertheless, mining camps tended to have a “Wild West” atmosphere. Many miners found little to do in their free time but spend their meager earnings at the saloon.
As the mining camps expanded and more gold seekers arrived, many individuals set up businesses to serve the mining operations. In the late 1850s, many women and children joined the men in the mining camps and towns. Many towns boomed during this era, and major cities such as San Francisco developed rapidly.

13. The California Gold Rush
Give students approximately one minute to view this image, then proceed to the following slides.
Note to teacher: This image is called “The Miners’ Pioneer Ten Commandments of 1849.” It was created in 1887 and modeled after a letter sheet titled “The Miners’ Ten Commandments” that had been created in This version contains the same text as the 1853 version, but the pictures are different.

14. What is the title of this source?
What different elements make up this source?
The title listed is “Miners Pioneer Ten Commandments of 1849.” The source consists of (1) a central body of text listing the Pioneers’ Ten Commandments and (2) images of miner/pioneer life that surround the text.

15. What do you think this scene depicts? Is it meant to be realistic?
Here’s a hint: The opening paragraph here quotes a man as saying, “I am a miner who wandered from ‘Away Down East,’ and came to sojourn in a strange land and ‘See the Elephant.’”
“See the elephant” was a common 19th-century phrase used to describe an experience so unique and memorable that one would have trouble topping it. It was often used to refer to experiencing combat in war for the first time; however, during the Gold Rush the phrase came to refer to seeing the far-off, exotic region of California and joining in the gold-seeking frenzy.
Students may not be able to come up with this on their own, so spend a few minutes drawing ideas from them and making sure that they understand the phrase. You might want to ask the class if they can think of any current-day phrases exist that are roughly equivalent to “see the elephant.”
FYI: The complete introductory paragraph reads, “A man spake these words, and said: I am a miner, who wandered from ‘Away Down East,’ and came to sojourn in a strange land and ‘See the Elephant.’ And behold I saw him, and bear witness that, from the key of his trunk to the end of his tail, his whole body has passed before me; and I followed him until his huge feet stood still before a clapboard shanty; then, with his trunk extended, he pointed to a candle-card tacked upon a shingle, as though he would say ‘READ!’ and I read THE PIONEER'S TEN COMMANDMENTS.”
What might “see the elephant” have referred to?

16. Why might the artist have included this scene?
What is going on in this scene? Does it look like a scene from a mining camp? Why or why not?
Why might the artist have included this scene?
Hint: This paragraph warns miners not to “take thy money, nor thy gold dust, nor thy good name, to the gaming table in vain.”
This scene shows several men gambling in a saloon. A woman and two young children stand in the doorway outside the saloon. It doesn’t really look like a scene many people would associate with a mining camp, but it does contain elements of truth: miners did often gamble away their meager yields of gold. The inclusion of the woman and the children rings false: mining towns had few families around. The artist almost certainly included them because the text describing this scene urges miners to think of “thy wife and children.”
The text here says, “Thou shalt not go prospecting before thy claim gives out. Neither shalt thou take thy money, nor thy gold dust, nor thy good name, to the gaming table in vain; for monte, twenty-one, roulette, faro, lansquenet and poker, will prove to thee that the more thou puttest down the less thou shalt take up; and when thou thinkest of thy wife and children, thou shalt not hold thyself guiltless—but insane.” The passage warns against gambling and the frivolous use of one’s money. It provides these instructions because gambling was a very common pastime in the mining camps, and the author knew that many miners commonly did exactly what they’re being told not to do here.

17. What does the passage tell miners not to do?
What do you think might be going on in this scene? (Hint: The sign on the far right tent says, “Store.”)
Listen as your teacher reads you this passage from the text that describes the scene shown here.
In this scene, one miner appears to be pointing another miner in the direction of the store.
The passage reads, “Thou shalt not tell any false tales about ‘good diggings in the mountains,’ to thy neighbor that thou mayest benefit a friend who hath mules, and provisions, and tools, and blankets he cannot sell; lest in deceiving thy neighbor, when he returns through the snow, with naught but his rifle, he present thee with the contents thereof, and like a dog thou shalt fall down and die.”
This passage warns against tricking one’s neighbor into leaving for a fictitious claim in order to help a friend who owns a store sell provisions, in this case to the unsuspecting neighbor. This passage, like the previous one, is included because this was not an uncommon thing for miners to do. Any miner reading this text might have known someone who had participated in this type of activity or may have been the culprit himself.
What does the passage tell miners not to do?
Why do you think it gives these instructions?

18. What is going on in this picture?
What does this scene indicate about the recommended course of action for a miner in the face of danger?
The miners have encountered two large grizzly bears and two bear cubs in the forest. The man in the foreground is taking an aggressive and courageous stance toward the bear, which has taken the man’s gun in its mouth. The man’s clothing reveals a muscular bare chest, implying that he is very strong and brave. The other man is attacking a grizzly with an axe.
This scene indicates that miners were expected to bravely fight back against threats they encountered. Any miner who cowered from a bear might have been considered a less capable man than the “heroes” in this picture. The picture also implies that miners did not regard their lives in the mountains as a peaceful coexistence with nature, but rather as a fight against hostile natural predators and against the elements as well.

19. What does this scene imply about miners’ daily lives?
Did they have many luxuries?
What types of domestic activities did they have to do?
This scene shows that the miners lived without luxury and had to perform many domestic tasks themselves, without the help of wives or housekeepers. For example, the man in the red shirt is either washing clothes or stirring food. The man outside the door is chopping wood for the fire the miners use to cook their own meals. The cabin is very simple, with no closets, and the miners hang their shirts on pegs attached to the bunk beds.
The picture does suggest a class distinction in the mining camp. This is shown by the two men sitting at the table, who are wearing dark jackets and appear to be more formally dressed than the other men. One is reading, and the other appears to be writing. These men may have been the mining bosses; perhaps they are paying a visit to the miners who live in this cabin.
Here is the section of the text that corresponds to this scene: “Thou shalt not remember what thy friends do at home on the Sabbath day, lest the remembrance may not compare favorably with what thou doest here. Six days thou mayest dig or pick all that thy body can stand under, but the other day is Sunday; yet thou washest all thy dirty shirts, darnest all thy stockings, tap thy boots, mend thy clothing, chop thy whole week's fire-wood, make up and bake thy bread and boil thy pork and beans that thou wait not when thou returnest from thy long tour weary. For in six days' labor only thou canst not work enough to wear out the body in two years; but if thou workest hard on Sunday also, thou canst do it in six months; and thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy male and thy female friend, thy morals and thy conscience be none the less better for it, but reproach thee shouldst thou ever return to thy mother's fireside; and thou strive to justify thyself because the trader and the blacksmith, the carpenter and the merchant, the tailors, Jews, and Buccaneers defy God and civilization by keeping not the Sabbath day, and wish not for a day of rest, such as memory of youth and home made hallowed.”

20. What are the men doing in this scene?
What does this picture indicate about how miners often spent their free time and money?
The miners are having a good time at the liquor store. Some are dancing, and others are talking. The one in the chair appears to be extremely drunk. This picture suggests the popularity of drinking establishments set up in the mining camps. These establishments, where miners spent time gambling as well as drinking, were some of the few centers of leisure and entertainment for the miners. Although their families back east may have been anxiously awaiting money from their husbands in the mines, much of the miners’ small earnings actually ended up in the pockets of the liquor store and saloon owners, or lost in card games.

21. Although the California Gold Rush ended thirty years prior to 1887, it would still have been relatively fresh in the American memory. Many people who had gone to California in their early adulthood would have been approaching old age at this time, and perhaps this piece would have served as a source of nostalgia for them. Also, the Gold Rush had occurred long enough ago that Americans might have entered a period of idealization and romanticization of the miners’ lifestyle.
Although the “Miners’ Pioneer Ten Commandments” was written in 1853, this version of it (with the drawings) wasn’t created until 1887—well after the Gold Rush had ended.
Why might the 1887 version have been created, and who do you think the intended audience for it was?

22. Frontier Life Homestead Act of 1862 Great Plains settlement Sod houses
The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed families to settle 160 acres of government land in the West, primarily in the Great Plains region. The family would pay a small fee and would have to promise to plant crops, build a home on the property, and to live there for at least five years. After fulfilling these requirements, the government would grant them official ownership of the land.
Because of the scarcity of trees on the Great Plains, many settlers built houses made of sod, which consisted of grass, roots, and dirt. It generally took several weeks to build a sod house. Each day, they’d cut only a certain amount of sod from the earth and add it to the house; they wouldn’t cut extra because leftover sod would dry up and become worthless. These houses were surprisingly comfortable, remaining relatively warm in winter and cool in the summer. Settlers often added comforting touches, such as wood floors and whitewashed interior walls.

23. Give students approximately one minute to view the photo, then proceed to the following slides.
Frontier Life

24. This picture shows a typical pioneer house on the Great Plains.
The house has a simple architecture, shaped more or less like a square. If you look closely, you can see the sod bricks. Unlike some other sod houses shown in photographs from this period, this house is neatly constructed and appears to be in pretty good shape.
What does the house appear to be made of?
Does it seem to be in good shape?

25. By modern standards, this family of eight would have been quite crowded in the house, but this was a typical arrangement on the frontier. The house has a small addition with a windmill on top. This addition may have been used to store farm equipment.
Do you think this family would have been comfortable living in this house?

26. What does the landscape in this picture look like?
This landscape is typical of the western Great Plains. It is virtually treeless, with rolling hills. Although the land might look fertile, this part of the country was very dry and was therefore difficult to farm. It was not uncommon for heavy winds to pick up the dry topsoil and blow it away in dust storms, eroding the soil and making farming even more challenging.
What does the landscape in this picture look like?
What do you think it might have been like to farm here?

27. What do you see in the foreground?
In the foreground, you can see furrows caused by plowing. The furrows are very close to the house, indicating that the pioneers lived right on the edge of, or in the middle of, their farm. This proximity to the farm implies that they tried to make the best possible use of their land, rather than reserving any land for a front or back yard. The fact that the furrows are clearly visible indicates that the soil was very dry; wet soil would have blended together and been less visible in the photograph.
What does this tell you about the distance between the house and the farm?
What does it tell you about the conditions of the soil?

28. Why do you think it might have been located here?
Located on top of the house, this windmill would have been able to capture more wind than if it were based on the ground. This is not a particularly tall windmill, so its functioning would have benefited from the added height that the addition to the house provided. The family probably used the windmill to generate power to operate farm or other equipment located in the addition.
What is this?
Why do you think it might have been located here?

29. Look at the family’s attire.
Do you think they dressed this way every day?
How formal do their clothes look considering their occupation?
The family members are not dressed up by “high society” standards, but they’re not wearing their everyday farm clothes either. Everyone appears to be dressed neatly, and no one looks like they’ve just ended a long day of farm work.

30. Who do you think might have taken this photograph, and why?
This photograph may have been taken by a traveling photographer at the request of the family. Perhaps the family wanted to send a picture to their family back east or to have a photograph of the house they had built. The picture might also been taken by a journalist or another individual who traveled throughout the frontier documenting pioneer life.
Who do you think might have taken this photograph, and why?

31. Native Americans “Indian wars” Treaties Reservations
Perceptions of Native Americans
As European-American settlers moved westward, they displaced the Native American cultures that originally inhabited the West. Scuffles often broke out, although many settlers did manage to develop friendly relations with Native Americans. United States government forces entered into a number of “Indian wars” with Native American tribes. These conflicts generally ended with treaties between the United States government and Native American groups; however, the government broke many of these treaties. Many Native Americans were forced onto reservations, often far from their ancestral homelands.
White people viewed Native Americans in a variety of ways during the 19th century. For example, Native Americans were variously regarded as threatening, war-mongering, submissive, dependent, backwards, primitive, noble, and admirable. Political cartoons, drawings, poems, works of literature, and photographs portrayed these perceived qualities and perpetuated numerous stereotypes of Native Americans.

32. Native Americans
Give students approximately one minute to view the cartoon, then proceed to the following slides.

33. Why do you think the cartoonist chose a snake for this representation?
Who does the snake represent in this political cartoon? How can you tell?
The snake represents a Native American, as evidenced by its braids and feathered headdress. The illustrator probably chose the snake because snakes are considered evil, dangerous, and sneaky; many white people in the 19th century would have felt that Native Americans shared similar qualities.
Why do you think the cartoonist chose a snake for this representation?

34. Who is in the snake’s grasp? What is the snake doing?
What is the meaning of this representation? (Hint: what do the words on the snake’s body say?)
The snake is coiled around a woman and a child. It has already killed the man of the family, who lies lifeless on the ground, still in the snake’s grasp. This image implies that Native Americans were squeezing the life out of European-American settlers by threatening their livelihoods; also, the words on the snake’s body say “Apache atrocities,” which most likely refers to instances where whites clashed with Apaches and were killed.

35. Who is this? What is he doing?
What is his relationship to the Native American/snake? (Hint: look at the sign on the tree.)
What do you think his actions represent?
This is Uncle Sam, and he is feeding the Native American/snake from a bowl that says “Government Gruel.” The relationship implied between the two is clearly one of master/pet, as evidenced by the sign on the tree that says “Uncle Sam’s pet.” The act of feeding the snake represents the the United States government providing food and financial assistance to Native Americans.

36. What does this piece of paper say?
What does the book next to it say?
Why do you think the cartoonist included these in the picture?
The piece of paper says, “Lo the poor Indian, whose untutored mind.” The book says, “Educate the savage.” The first is a quote is from Alexander Pope’s 1711 “Essay on Criticism”; the line was frequently used by 19th-century writers (including Horace Greeley and E.A. Nesbit) to emphasize the downtrodden and “primitive” state of Native Americans and to urge that concerned citizens and/or the U.S. government take steps to help them. For example, Greeley felt that teaching the Indians a trade would transform “an indolent savage tribe into a civilized Christian community.” Students will almost certainly not know any of this; you may want to tell them straight-out or reveal the information as the class speculates as to why the cartoonist included this phrase in the picture. As an extension activity, you might also want to have students read all of Letter 13 from Greeley’s An Overland Journey, which has “Lo, the Poor Indian” as its title.
“Educate the savage” is probably not a specific reference to something, but instead expresses a prevalent 19th-century view: Indians were “savage,” but could be “tamed” through education. The cartoonist most likely included these in the picture for two reasons: to show the mindset that underlay Uncle Sam’s giving “government gruel” to Native Americans, and to stress what he felt was the incorrectness of this viewpoint. The cartoonist most likely saw Native Americans as “unredeemable” and thus undeserving of assistance from the U.S. government.

37. This cartoon is titled “The Nation’s Ward.”
What does this mean?
Why do you think the cartoonist drew this cartoon? What message was the artist trying to convey?
This cartoon reflects a popular notion about Native Americans during the late 19th century. Many pioneers and other European-Americans were upset that the government subsidized Native Americans on the reservations, providing them with food and other benefits, while pioneers had to fend for themselves and sometimes face hostile Native American attacks. This type of cartoon helped to perpetuate anti-Native American sentiment throughout the country.

38. Native Americans
Give students approximately one minute to view the photo, then proceed to the following slides.

39. Why do you think he might have focused his career on this subject?
The professional photographer Edward S. Curtis took this photograph around During his career, Curtis photographed hundreds of images of Native Americans.
By the turn of the 20th century, westward expansion had severely curtailed the traditional Native American lifestyle, and many Native American traditions faced extinction. Curtis aimed to document these traditions and the people behind them before they vanished. In the introduction to his first photographic volume, he wrote “The information that is to be gathered ... respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind, must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost."
Why do you think he might have focused his career on this subject?

40. This photograph is titled “Arikara Medicine Ceremony—The Ducks.”
What appears to be happening in the photo?
Curtis wrote “Three members of the medicine fraternity, painted to represent ducks and holding the rushes among which waterfowl rest, in their dance around the sacred cedar.” In the photo, three men appear to be holding some branches and performing a ritual dance of some sort.

41. Why do you think Curtis chose this scene to photograph?
What might he have found interesting about it?
This scene shows the relationship between Native American culture and nature and the way in which Native Americans used materials and symbols from nature to facilitate human endeavors. In this case, the men are performing a medicine ritual, perhaps to heal someone in their community. This is a very different custom from anything seen in European-style medicine, and Curtis probably found it interesting because of its novelty and contrast.

42. The Myth of the West Romantic fascination Media portrayal Buffalo Bill
Realities of life in the West
For people who lived in the East or in other countries, the American West served as a place of romantic fascination. Literature, art, drama, and other media portrayed the West as a region of grand adventure, a lawless “anything goes” attitude, multiple dangers, and exotic, rugged scenery. The ideal of the fearless cowboy, the noble Indian warrior, and brave, industrious settlers became enshrined in the American imagination.
Certain individuals became legendary symbols of the American West. For example, Buffalo Bill (William Frederick Cody, 1846–1917) became famous for his “Wild West Show” after spending years working various jobs on the frontier, including delivering mail on the Pony Express and serving as a scout for the U.S. Army. The “Wild West Show” portrayed an idealized vision of the West, complete with real cowboys and Native American warriors.
The realities of life in the West did not always live up to these idealized images. Cowboys worked very hard and spent most of their time doing mundane tasks rather than chasing Indians or herding cattle. Settlers likewise had to work extremely hard at daily chores in order to survive in the West. Easterners who moved west with the idea that life would be glamorous were generally in for a rude awakening.

43. The Myth of the West
Give students approximately one minute to view the poster, then proceed to the following slides.

44. This 1899 handbill advertises Buffalo Bill’s traveling show.
The subtitle, “And Congress of Rough Riders of the World,” promotes Buffalo Bill’s show as an unmatched spectacle. It makes his troop appear tough, highly experienced, and as ambassadors of the American West to the world. Students might ask about the use of the word “congress” in the subtitle: here, it is most likely used to denote a meeting or coming together rather than a formal, government-sanctioned body. At the time, the word was used more often in this general sense than in the specific sense we usually ascribe to it today.
This 1899 handbill advertises Buffalo Bill’s traveling show.
What does the subtitle say? What does it imply about the show?

45. Describe Buffalo Bill’s appearance and stature.
How effectively do you think this picture of him might have portrayed the image of the cowboy that the show was trying to convey?
In this picture, Buffalo Bill appears as the quintessential cowboy (although more spruced-up). He sits tall upon his powerful-looking horse, who is adorned with a bridle in a Native American motif. Buffalo Bill’s outfit is much fancier and neater than what an everyday working cowboy would have been wearing, but it nevertheless gives the impression of a man who is ready to face the rigors of the West. The horse looks as if it might be trotting through a stream as Buffalo Bill rides with confidence and ease.

46. What is going on in the center of the picture?
Several Native American chiefs are riding their horses very rapidly across the plains. It’s likely that they are headed to attack the settlers’ wagon train in the background. Buffalo Bill’s show did have fully-dressed chiefs on horseback and included staged wagon train raids. This scene therefore portrays a real part of the show in a romanticized way.
What is going on in the center of the picture?
What do you think this scene is attempting to represent?

47. What is happening in the upper left-hand corner of the picture?
What does this scene portray about Native American culture as Buffalo Bill might have wanted audiences to understand it?
A group of Plains Indians dances around their teepees. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show included Native American dances. This picture portrays the dance against the Great Plains landscape, which provides a more realistic image than audiences in New York, England, or other non-western locations could have been exposed to at the show.

48. This text uses adjectives such as “wily,” “dusky,” and “weird” to emphasize the exotic nature of Native American culture. It describes Native American horsemanship as “picturesque,” implying that Native Americans on horseback contribute to the scenery of the American West, but neglecting the very practical and culturally significant horsemanship of the Plains Indians. By mentioning the warriors’ “peculiarities,” the text emphasizes how different Native American culture is from European culture. While this language is considered very pejorative by modern standards, it's important to keep in mind that Buffalo Bill felt he was honoring both Native American and cowboy culture.
Potential audiences at the time would probably have been intrigued by this description of the show, particularly if they lived in a place that was very different from the “Wild West” the show attempted to portray.
How does this part of the poster portray the American West and Native Americans?
How do you think potential audiences at the time would have responded to this?

49. There’s no definite answer to this question, so hold a brief full-class discussion on this topic. Issues to raise include the desire of urban audiences to see something “exotic,” racist views of Native Americans, and how Buffalo Bill’s version of the West fit with American ideals of self-reliance and bravery—not to mention Manifest Destiny.
Why do you think Buffalo Bill’s mythologized version of the West appealed so strongly to audiences?

50. Note to teacher: If desired, pose any or all of the following wrap-up questions to the class as a whole:
Which of these images stood out the most to you? Why?
Which one do you think you’ll remember the most? Why?
Which one would you choose as being most representative of the era? Point out specific elements of that image that led you to select it.