Frontier Perspectives Worksheet
Frontier Perspectives
Primary Source Investigation: Westward Expansion
Subject: History Extension
Name:
To understand history, we must look beyond maps and dates. Examine the voices of those who drove expansion, those who resisted it, and those whose lives were transformed by the promise of the West.
I
The Vision: Manifest Destiny
Primary Source A: John L. O’Sullivan, "Annexation" (1845)
"Our manifest destiny [is] to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. . . it is a right such as that of the tree to the space of air and earth suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of growth."
1. Symbolism & Logic
O’Sullivan compares the United States to a "tree." How does this natural metaphor justify expansion? What does it imply about the inevitability of the process?
2. Religious Framing
O’Sullivan mentions "Providence" (divine guidance). Why was it strategically important for proponents of expansion to link their political goals to religious or moral authority?
II
The Cost: The Trail of Tears
Primary Source B: Chief John Ross, Letter to the U.S. Senate (1836)
"We are despoiled of our private possessions... we are stripped of every attribute of freedom and eligibility for legal self-defense. Our property may be plundered before our eyes; violence may be committed on our persons; even our lives may be taken away, and there is none to regard our complaints. We are overwhelmed!"
3. Legal Vulnerability
Ross emphasizes the lack of "legal self-defense." How did the removal policy systematically dismantle the legal rights of the Cherokee nation before physically removing them?
4. Contrasting Ideologies
Contrast Ross’s description of "despoiled possessions" with O’Sullivan’s "free development." How do these two primary sources illustrate the conflict between American expansionist ideals and the reality for Indigenous peoples?
III
The Dream: California Gold
Primary Source C: Diary of a Forty-Niner, Luzena Wilson (1849)
"The gold fever was at its height. It was the only topic of conversation... Every man felt as if he had only to go to California to find his fortune waiting for him. My husband and I decided to sell everything and make the journey. We were the only ones who knew the hardships we would face."
5. Social Fever
Wilson uses the term "gold fever." In what ways did the Gold Rush function as a collective psychological event rather than just an economic one?
6. Global Impact (Extension)
The Gold Rush drew thousands of immigrants from China, Europe, and South America. Based on Wilson’s account of "finding a fortune," how might the arrival of diverse global groups have challenged the "Manifest Destiny" ideal of a purely American-led expansion?
