Study Questions 

a. Describe the civilizing mission of the United States and explain how this concept related to Thomas Jefferson's Indian Policy. 

b. How did Americans in the early 19th century understand their relationship to Native peoples?  Was there a place in the republic for Indian peoples?  Base your answers on public policy and popular discourse in the early republic.

c. Explain the concept of taming the wilderness.  How did this idea relate to America's western expansion? 

d. What were the implications of American ideas about the wilderness and civilization for Indian peoples?

e. Why did American officials believe it to be important that the Native peoples of the Northwest Territory recognize and accept U.S. sovereignty?  Based on the assigned texts how do you think Indian peoples understood the concept of sovereignty during the treaty negotiations at Greeneville?

Study Questions 

a. John Filson’s narrative is often seen as the first popular Western adventure. Does it seem like a typical "western" to you? In what ways does it seem different from later narratives of the West?

b. Daniel Bryan’s “The Mountain Muse” is an unusual interpretation of Daniel Boone's story. In what kind of framework is he trying to cast Boone's history? How is this similar or different from John Filson's narrative?

c. In “Indian Wars of the West,” how does Timothy Flint narrate the Indian attacks? What aspects does he focus on, and which are left out? How does Flint characterize the Indians’ motivations?

d. How has the frontier influenced American history according to Frederick Jackson Turner?  Can you see Turner's understanding of the frontier in the writings of Filson, Flint and Bryan?

e. According to Flint, Daniel Boone despised the trappings of civilization, and yet he was widely regarded as having brought civilization to the west.  How would explain and make sense of this contradiction.

f. Flint writes on page 56 that settlers built cabins in the Kentucky Territory and lived in them for a single season before returning to their homes in the British colonies in order to establish "a future claim on the land on which they built."  How was this process of claiming and settling the west linked to the American Revolution and the creation of the republic?

g. For writers like Filson, Flint, Bryan, and Jackson what role did American Indians play in the development of America?

Study Questions

a. Try to look up some information about the authors of these letters – who were they? And what was the American Philosophical Society?

b. What questions does Noah Webster try to answer in his letter to Ezra Stiles? What kinds of evidence does he cite, and what conclusions does he come to?

c. Who does Webster refer to as “Madoc” (p. 325)? Can you find out anything about this reference? (Hint: search for "Madog" in the "First American West" database.)

d. What do these sources tell you about how white American intellectuals tried to make sense of the American Indian past? What kind of philosophical problem did they run into trying to explain these archeological findings? What are the differences in how Noah Webster and Winthrop Sargent try to tackle this issue?

e. How does Frederick jackson Turner's understanding of America's western expansion compare with Stephen Aron's history of the Trans-Appalachia frontier?

f. According to Aron what was the significance of the commons on this frontier?  How was this common utilized by the Indians, and how was it used by the settlers?

Study Questions 

a. La Verendrye begin his journal by informing the Governor of New France that he seeks to increase the number of his children.  What does he mean by this?

b. How does La Verendrye use presents when he deals with Native peoples?

c. What is the purpose of La Verendrye's expedition?  What does he hope to find?

d.Explain the significance of the theft of La Verendrye's possessions?

e. How does La Verendrye communicate with the Mandan?  What is the significance of this style of communication?

f.According to Hemelainen why did the U.S. fight a long war with the Dakota and quickly defeat the Commanche?

g.What does Hemelainen mean when he describes the Commanche as pastoralists?  And, what is the significance of this transformation in terms of ecology, economy, social structure, politics, diplomacy?

h.Describe the military impact of plains Indians adopting horses.  How did this process facilitate U.S. expansion onto the Great Plains?

Study Questions

 a. How was the Ramon expedition different from the expedition of La Verendrye?

b. What was the significance of Ramon assigning Spanish names to the places he passed through?

c. How is the Spanish relationship with Native peoples different from the French relationship with Native peoples?

d. How were the Spanish Missions incorporated into Caddo Society?  How did the Caddo's reception of the Spanish compare with the Mandan's reception of the French? Did Spanish interactions with the Caddo differ from their interactions with other Indians they encountered as they traveled?

e. According to Barr how did Euro-American maps erase Indian Geography?  How does this impact the historical narrative of European/American expansion?  How is this linked to the mythology (as opposed to the history) of the American West?

f. What, according to Barr is the link between space and sovereignty among Native peoples.  Is this the same for the Karankawa as it is for the Caddo?

g. What impact did Apache and Comanche raiding have on Spanish settlement?  How did these raiding practice influence the relationship between Native peoples?  How did Apache and Comanche power influence Spanish imperiual power, and how does this influence the way Americans understand the expansion of the U.S. into this region?

Study Questions 

a. Explain how kinship and hierarchy influenced Native and American diplomacy as Lewis and Clark made their way through the west.

b. What is the core idea behind Thomas Jefferson's Indian policy?  How was this related to the Lewis and Clark expedition?  How was it related to American political power in the west?

c.What is the back-story regarding trade in Jefferson's secret message to congress?  How would you interpret Jefferson's speech to the Indians?  How are the speech and message to congress related?

d. Describe the importance of trade for Jefferson's Indian policy and for the mission of the corps of Discovery.  What are the implications of trade with the U.S. for the Sioux and the Mandan and Hidatsas?

e. What was the diplomatic goal of the Lewis and Clark expedition in Jefferson's instructions?  How well did Lewis and Clark implement Jefferson's diplomatic goals?  What was the diplomatic goal of the Sioux?  How would you describe the encounter with Lewis and Clark from a Sioux perspective?  From a Mandan perspective? (Be sure to read the full journal entries for September 25-28, 1804).

f. Why were there so many Natie villagers at teh Mandan-Hidatsa villages?  What were the significance of these villages for trade and diplomacy among Native peoples in the Upper Missouri Basin?

g. How were trade and sovereignty linked in the Upper Missouri from an American perspective?  How would they be viewed from a Native perspective?

Study Questions 

a. Texas in 1840 is one of many nineteenth-century guides for people emigrating to the West. Guides ranged from detailed descriptions of the region to guidebooks with step-by-step maps and instructions on how to get to the new region, such as emigrant guides to Utah. Keeping this genre in mind, who was the authors' ideal audience? Think about specific examples from the text that demonstrate the authors' motivations.

b. What image of the Republic of Texas (1836-1846) does this text create? If you were looking for a new country to emigrate to, would Texas appeal to you? Why or why not? Consider specific examples and think about variables based on sex, age, occupation, marital status etc., that would help determine the appeal of Texas.

c. Who is George Wilkins Kendall? (You may need to look up information on Kendall in an outside source.) What role did he play in the Texas Santa Fé Expedition? According to Kendall, why did he join the expedition?

d. How does Kendall depict the goals of the expedition? Upon joining the expedition, how did Kendall think he and others on the expedition would be received by Sante Fé’s inhabitants? How did their expectations differ from reality and what can we determine about the individuals on the expedition and the regions' politics?

e. The Texas Santa Fé Expedition set out in 1841, a year after the publication of Texas in 1840. What does the juxtaposition of these two texts suggest about Texas' economy, goals, society, and relationship with Mexico and the United States. 

f. Throughout the excerpts Kendall mentions encounters with American Indians. How does he perceive the Indians he sees and hears stories about? How does he differentiate between the different groups he meets? 

g. Kendall claims, “The desperation of their [the Indians’] hunger was such as to overcome any astonishment or intimidation the appearance of our wagon might have caused…” (87). What other reasons may explain why the sight of wagons and Texan traders did not astonish the southwestern Indians? What do the Indian attacks imply about this region?

Study Questions

“The War with Mexico,” “The Mexican War-Its Origin and Conduct,” and the Library of Congress Cartoon Prints

-Compare and contrast the two articles. For example, consider the following:

a. What are the causes of the Mexican-American War given by The American Whig Review and how do they compare to the reasons provided by The United States Democratic Review?

b. How is President Polk portrayed in each article?

c. What are the similarities and differences in how Mexicans are portrayed in each article? How do the articles compare to the cartoon that includes Mexican soldiers? How does each piece describe relations with Mexico?

d. Paired with the cartoon prints from the Library of Congress, what do these articles demonstrate about how the Mexican-American War affected political parties and elections in the 1840s? What are the major political issues that the war highlights? How did the war affect the Election of 1848? View the “About this item” section on the LOC’s website to help consider these questions.

Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant

a. How does Grant portray American soldiers in comparison to Mexican soldiers?

b. How is Grant’s account different from the articles that appeared in The American Whig Review and The United States Democratic Review? What are his views on the Mexican-American War?

Study Questions 

What did it take to plan a railroad? These "Reports of Explorations and Surveys" are a remarkable record of how the Corps of Topographical Engineers conducted their explorations of the trans-Mississippi west, as they surveyed the territory to find the best routes for future railroads. In the process these expeditions mapped the west's geology, zoology, and plant life--and gave detailed impressions of the landscape, as well as Indian people they encountered on their way.

First, consider the following questions as you explore these volumes:

- What kind of resources (labor, supplies, and expertise) went into these expeditions?

- For what audience are these volumes intended? When were they published and whopublished them?

- Who are the writers of the various texts that make up the volumes?

- What is the extent of the territory that these reports cover?

For our class discussion, different groups of students will prepare a short presentation on the themes below. As a group, try to point your fellow students towards passages that you find historically relevant, unusual, or otherwise of interest. Discuss your questions and observations about these passages, and what you think they tell us about how the American military brought the American west into the reach of U.S. bureaucracy. We will explore the following themes:

- Geology, zoology, and botany

- Building the railroads: routes and strategy 

- Indians of the west 

- Artists' impressions of the west (lithographs and drawings) 

Study Questions 

The Oregon Trail and "pioneers" moving west are familiar images, popularized in television shows, movies, trail days/festivals, games, and monuments.  The Oregon Trail game, for example, takes players through the trail, narrates certain events, and requires decisions on what to buy for the trip and how to react to certain situations (broken wagon axle, dysentery, fording a river vs. taking a ferry, when to hunt etc.).

Pulling examples from the Whitman's letters and the journal entries quoted in Bashore's essay on the Mormons, consider how you would create a game about traveling west in the mid-nineteenth century. How would you rewrite The Oregon Trail? Be prepared to discuss your ideas in small groups, creating a more nuanced version of the game that goes beyond popularized stereotypes. Also, feel free to consider individuals' experiences once they reach their destination, such as the Salt Lake Valley or the Walla Walla Valley.

Questions you might consider:

-What are important decisions travelers had to make? What difficulties did they run into? What motivated their movement west and how did these motivations affect their trip?

-Compare and contrast the the Mormons' trail experience to that of the Christian missionaries, such as the Whitman's. How would a game based on each experience look? Also, consider how the game might look different from the perspective of a man, woman, or child.

*If you are unfamiliar with The Oregon Trail—a game created for educational purposes around 1971 that was popular in elementary schools in the 1980s and 1990s—an internet search will turn up videos, blogs, and promotional material related to the game.

For example, a video promoting the Facebook version of the game provides an idea of the basic premise. On the Learning Company’s website, you can also find images and links about the different versions of the game, from the original Apple version to the newest home edition.

Study Questions 

a. Do the primary sources further support Johnson's argument that the world that emerged around the gold mines was "a world upside down"? How do the primary sources add to or contest Johnson's discussion of gender, class, and race?

b. How do these accounts define "civilization"? What is associated with civilization and what is its opposite? How do these men and women see themselves and their lifestyles in California? How might you connect their accounts to previous discussions regarding civilization?

c. Like the "pioneers" of the Oregon Trail, miners during the California Gold Rush are emphasized by textbooks and other narratives centered on the West. Why? What makes the Gold Rush an "American" experience? How do the different types of readings support the images the Gold Rush evokes and how do these accounts differ or conflict with the popular narrative of the Gold Rush?

d. For this discussion, there are many different types of sources, which each provide a small snapshot of California or the Gold Rush. What information does this material provide when considered in juxtaposition? What is the significance of 1848 newspaper articles placed next to letters from a miner to his wife in 1850? Taken together, what type of picture of the Gold Rush does this material create? Is it an accurate depiction? Are certain perspectives missing?

Study Questions 

The Pike's Peak Gold Rush in 1858 led to the rapid creation of the Colorado Territory in 1861. What was the result of such a major territorial reorganization in such a short time? What environmental, military, and social effects did the influx of settlers have on the Indians inhabiting the region. And how did "a clash of visions in Mid-America" (Elliott West) contribute to the famous Sand Creek Massacre in 1863?

John Evans letter:

a. Find out some information about John Evans and Edwin Stanton: what was their involvement in the Colorado Indian conflicts? What is Evans's assessment of the situation of Indian relations on the Colorado frontier, and what is the proposed solution?

PBS case study:

a. The author of the first editorial calls the Sand Creek Massacre "a remarkable feat": what information does this eye witness account offer, and what aspects are not mentioned so much? Can you detect a more sarcastic tone in the second editorial? What purpose do you think the author's rhetoric serves? 

b. What might these two editorials lead you to assume about the image of the Sand Creek massacre as it is portrayed in the Rocky Mountain News? 

c. How would you describe John Smith's role in mediating between the U.S. military and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians? Based on his deposition, does Smith seem a reliable witness to you? How does Smith characterize Colonel Chivington's actions?

d. On what points do John Smith's and Chivington's testimony differ most clearly? What different accounts do the two witnesses have of the number of Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians who were involved in the conflict? 

Study Questions 

a. After looking over the Kansas-Nebraska Act, consider the letters, newspaper article, and political cartoons (note the letters are listed in chronological order), consider the following questions: What were the effects of the Kansas-Nebraska act on the nation and the West? How did the Act affect Kansas and Missouri? What were the prevalent emotions embodied in the letters and newspaper article? What are the main issues that appear in both the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas Nebraska Act?

b. Considering the information provided by the letters, legislation, and background information--how would you explain each cartoon to somebody who does not know anything about this time period or the issues? Summarize the issues using these cartoons as illustrations and launching points. What does each cartoon—Liberty the Fair Maid of Kansas, Forcing Slavery Down the Throat of a Freesoiler, and The Balls are Rolling—represent?

c. How is Union different from the other illustrations? What is the artist attempting to convey and why might the message of this piece be important during the 1850s?

Study Questions 

Jeffrey Ostler writes about the increased U.S. military presence in the West following the Civil War. Today we will think about how military intervention came to be seen as an increasingly central "solution" to the Indian-U.S. relations on the Great Plains.

a. How would you characterize Elizabeth Custer's portrayal of both the Indian and American women in "Boots and Saddles"? And what kind of masculinity do the soldiers evidence? What is the dramatic pay-off of how Custer recounts the events of Little Bighorn here?

b. Who was Aaron Beede? What prompts him to present himself as an authority on the Battle of Little Bighorn? How is he portrayed in the "Publisher's Preface"? 

c. Beede writes in his introduction that he wants to give "a picture of the 'Custer Massacre,' so called, as the Indians themselves saw the battle." When you read his note on "Sources" at the end of the book, do you think Beede is successful in doing this? To what extend does he succeed or not?

d. Scene IV: "Sitting Bull and Custer Face to Face" stages a dialogue between Sitting Bull and the dead Custer's spirit. What kind of resolution does the play offer? What is the final word on Custer?

Study Questions 

a. What do the photographs in the Alfred Hart collection tell you about the immediate environmental impact of building the railroads? 

b. What do the interactive visualizations suggest was the long-term impact of the railroads in terms of labor and social and economic change in the American West? 

c. Daniel Belgrad writes that the history of the Johnson County War found its way into history in “two archetypal forms” (p. 159). What archetypal story does Shane tell about the Johnson County War? What does its depiction

in the film tell us about general U.S. conceptions of the American West?

d. Discuss the character of Shane as a “western hero.” Does he seem like the archetype of the gunfighter? Do you sense a change in the way he is presented throughout the film?

e. Try to keep track of different characters’ accents, backgrounds, and their family situation. Of what kind of people is this community in Wyoming composed? And what do you make of the confrontation between Wilson and “Stonewall”?

f. In a confrontation with Ryker, Joe tells him that trappers and Indian traders “tamed” the country long before Ryker did. In this short

dialogue, what is Joe implying? What cultural ideas about cultivating the land shine through in Joe’s dialogue?

g. Belgrad suggests that the co-existence of private land and public land led to insurmountable tensions. Are these the terms in which Shane depicts the conflict at the heart of the film? What are the central tensions in the film’s retelling of the Johnson County War history?

h. What is the turning point in the film at which the homesteaders determine to fight back against Ryker? Why do you think it is at just this moment?

i. The film ends on a rather ambiguous note—why is the hero made to ride away?

Study Questions 

The traditional view of the "creation" of the American West is often imagined as a narrative of westward expansion. A more informed historical approach, however, recognizes how the history of the American West is also one of continuous travel and migration from West to East, across the Pacific. Although the west was supposedly made "American" in the course of the 19th century, when we look at labor and immigration the west reveals that its borders are less clearly defined. Consider the following questions:

a. How does Fujita-Rony propose to rethink how we look at the American West? And how does her argument compare to that of Lissa Wadewitz's article? 

b. The Wasp was a San Francisco satirical magazine that became known for its cartoons -- including a score which stereotype immigrants. Besides their anti-immigration message, what do these cartoons try to convey about Chinese immigrants? What are some recurring visual elements that strike you? 

d. The cartoon "The Chinese Must Go: But Who Keeps Them?" poses a provocative question. What, according to the visuals, is the intended answer to this question? What does the donkey in the middle of the cartoon signify?

e. Look up some information on Dennis Kearney and the Workingmen's Party. What rhetorical moves does Kearney make in his "Appeal" in order to legitimate his anti-Chinese message?

f. In the Adress from the Working Men How is the tariff linked to the labor force and how are labor, the tariff and "the trusts" linked to Chinese immigration?

 Study Questions

a. What are the similarities and differences in the story of America and western expansion as told by Frederick Jackson Turner, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Ned Buntline?

b. What is the significance of Custers last stand for Cody according to Richard White?  How does Warren interpret this event and its meaning in the Wild West Show?  How does violence lend itself to story telling for Cody and for Buntline?

c.What is the significance of wilderness for Turner? Can you link Turner's concept of free land with the Indian policy of Thomas Jefferson?  What is the relationship between these concepts of wilderness and frontier with the settler homestead? -- think of specific examples from Cody, Buntline and the movie Shane.  Similarly, explain the significance of the log cabin in American popular culture?  Think in terms of the changing cultural meanings associated with this iconography and how they relate to politics, and ideas about gender roles and relations and the social order. 

Study Questions 

a. Consider Thomas Edison's films and Edwin S. Porter's "The Great Train Robbery" in relation to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Is the early western simply a continuation of the Wild West Shows, or is it a new art form? What are the similarities and difference in terms of their production, content, and audiences?

b."White Fawn's Devotion" is directed by James Young Deer, the first Native American film director. Phil Deloria writes that "Young Deer's Pathe films rejected squaw man story lines--even while remaining cognizant that these narratives structured the cultural expectations of audiences" (96). Can you support this statement, using "White Fawn's Devotion" as an example? To what extent does it reject traditional Indian captivity stories, and to what extent does it uphold them?

c.How are these films, like the Wild West Show, a form of American self representation?

d. What does Deloria mean when he suggests that actors in westerns are preforming Indianness?  What does this say about the relationship between Indian peoples and modernity?

e. What do these films say about idea of Indian assimilation?

f. Deloria argues that Cowboy and Indian films offer a collection of messages.  What are the messages offered to the viewer in the Film Fort Apache?

g. What do you make of the conclusion of Fort Apache?  What is John Ford's message?  What is he saying about the relationship between myth and history, legend and truth?

Study Questions 

Before completing the readings, look over the timeline. How would you describe the creation of the national parks?

a. Carefully consider how the material this week is interconnected. For instance, note that Theodore Roosevelt was President of the Boone and Crockett Club in 1895 when he coauthored Hunting in Many Lands with George Bird Grinnell. Roosevelt also helped found and name the club in 1887.

-- Can you identify the influence of Thureau in the writings and ideas of John Muir or Theodore Roosevelt?  If so, be specific in forming an answer.

--Where are the Indians in Muir's wilderness?  How would contrast Muir's wilderness with Turners?  How would you contrast Muir's idea of wilderness with Joe Start and his ideas of land use in the movie Shane?

--What did Muir mean when he desrcibed eastern Americans as overcivilized? And how did he relate this concept to the National Parks and National Forests?

b. Consider how these readings revisit themes discussed in previous classes. Are the ideas presented by Muir, Roosevelt, and Thoreau connected to earlier discussions? How do you think each man would define the West? How is the concept of the West we have discussed throughout the course connected to the creation of the National Park System? What do these men value and what do they wish to preserve? 

c. Why according to Karl Jakoby, should we not treat nature or wilderness as self evident categories?  What does he mean when he describes the cultural construction of nature?

Study Questions 

a. Describe the narrative arc of the John Ford movie The Grapes of Wrath.  What story is Ford trying to tell?  Give specific examples.

b. How is this related to the stories you find in the primary source texts assigned for this class?

c. Cronin argues that narrative story telling imposes an artificial structure onto past events and this structure, in turn, shapes the meaning of the story.  Do you agree or disagree?  How does plot and character choice shape Ford's interpretation of the Great Depression?  What is the framing device used by Ford to shape the meaning of his film --(how does he begin and set up the film and how does end end it and conclude his story)? How does this contrast and compare with Dorthea Lange's migrant mother photos, the FSA interviews, and the reporting of Charles Todd?

d. Discuss the significance of narrative or plot line in telling this history of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression.

Study Questions 

a.How did electrification come to signify progress?  How was this representation of progress related to other earlier narratives about the relationship between American expansion and the settlement and civilization of North American wilderness?  Does the idea of bringing civilization to the wilderness in the film Columbia strike you as comparable to Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis or not?  How do the ideas expressed in the film compare with Thomas Jefferson's idea of American expansion?

b.With rural electrification in the Columbia River Valley the federal government is the agent of change and promoter of progress.  How is this different or similar to other historical moments of America's western expansion in places like Texas, Kansas/Missouri, or California?

c. What does Gold mean when he describes Gutherie's songs as technological utopianism? How would you relate this to the writing of Frederick Jackson Turner?  How would you compare Gutherie's understanding of the relationship between humanity and nature with the ideas of John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt on the same subject?

d.How would you relate Columbia to John Ford's adaptation of the Grapes of Wrath to film?  What does the use of film do to historical narrative and what is the relationship between cultural production like The Grapes of Wrath, the Wild West Show, and a documentary film like Columbia, or photography sch as the migrant mother series shot by Dorthea Lange?  How does the narrative framing of the film Columbia compare to that of the Grapes of Wrath?  What are the stories each film is trying to tell?

Study Questions 

a. How does the office of war information film utilize the themes, ideas, images, and iconography of America's western expansion to tell the story of Japanese internment?

b. How does the text by Ansel Adams adress the following questions -- was internment of the Japanese necessary?  Was it just, and did it live up to the ideals represented by the constitution of the United States? 

c. How does the Adams text use images and words by administration officials to explain internment?

d. What are the rationales offered by the Supreme Court for the exclusion act and the internment of the Japanese occupants of Military area number 1 in the Hirabayashi case?  Do you agree with the courts assessment that internment did not constitute a denial of the 5th amendment right to due process?  What do you make of the concurring opinion written by Justice Murphy? What does he have to say about assimilation, racial difference, and the idea of liberty afforded to American citizens by the constitution?  Does Murphy's concurrence read like a dissent, and if so how does he reconcile his reasoning with the majority opinion?

e. In the Korematsu ruling Chief Justice Black denies that relocation occurred because of racial prejudice, but rather because of issues of national security.  How does Black's argument compare with the dissent offered by Justice Murphy?  What argument against relocation and internment is advanced by Murphy, and what are the points of disagreement with Black?

Study Questions 

a. From an Anglo-American perspective what did the Pachuca persona and style represent?  What did this style represent from a Mexican and Mexican American perspective?

b.How did the Pachuca/o challenge ideas about American identity during World War II?

c. How was the controversy over Pachuca style ad persona linked to the changing public role of women during the second World War?

d. According to Escobedo how was the theory of ethnicty and Americanization advanced by Gunnar Myrdal as the solution to American race problem?  How did the Pachuca contradict this idea about the evolution and emergence of an American identity among immigrant populations?

e. What do you make of the different images captured by the FSA's Bracero program and the images depicting the Zoot suiters and Pachuca/o culture at the PBS website?

f. According to Chavez how did the growers use Bracero workers and what effect did this have on farm labor?  Can you draw parallels between the story told by Cesar Chavez and the experience of the Oakies in John Ford's Grape's of Wrath?

Study Questions 

a. Taking into account Jim Gregory's article how would you interpret the performances of of Bob Wills and Merle Haggard as evidence of the evolution of Okie social status in California?  How would you relate these songs to the stories told by John Ford in Grapes of Wrath or the songs of Woody Guthrie in the film Columbia?

b. According to Gregory what was the cultural and political impact of Okie migration in California?  What are the ideological dimensions of Okie cultural production?  (use the performances by Wills and Haggard and or search other artist perfomances cited by the Gregory article)

c. According to Gregory what did Steinbeck get wrong in his interpretation of the Okie experience in California?

d. How would you compare the Bracero program to the experience of Japanese or Chinese immigrants in the west?

e. How have economic outcomes for Okie immigrants compared to the economic outcomes of Latino and Asian immigrants in the mid to late 20th century?

f. What was the relationship between the Bracero program and the UFW and how was this relationship significant to the strike and grape boycotts of the mid 1960s?

g. How do you explain the simultaneous success of Chavez and La Causa and the landslide victory of Ronald Reagan in his race for Governor of California in 1966?

Study Questions 

a. According to Robert Self what is metropolitanism and how was it challenged by the Black Panther party?  How is this concept linked to what Self calls "the urban crisis?  What is the relationship between the city, the suburbs, and black radicalism in Oakland California?

b.What did the Black Panther mean when they called for the creation of a "peoples economy" and how was this different from the New Deals liberal economic policies? 

c. How was black power defined and understood by the different constituencies in Oakland?

d. Can you interpret Richard Nixon's speech on the philosophy of government as a reaction against movements like the black power movement in Oakland?  What was Nixon's philosophy and how would you contrast it with the idea of a peoples economy advanced by the Black panther Party?  Who does Nixon refer to when he mentions "the silent Majority"?

Study Questions 

a. What was the significance of at-large city council positions in the post World War II sunbelt?  How did city councils elcted in this way impact minority voters?  How did the southwest and the south compare in terms of representing and incorporating racial minorities into the political process?

b. What was Barry Goldwater's critique of the New Deal and how was this reflected in Arizona politics?  Did the west benefit or loose out in New Deal era public policies?  Be specific in providing an answer.

c. How did sunbelt conservatives interpret and incorporate the history of the American west?  Was this interpretation of the Western past accurate?  Be specific in your answer and make sure to site historical persons, events, and or texts.

d. Now that you have made it through a semesters worth of classes what are the main ideas, the the take away lessons, about the history of the west.  How would you summarize this history in one to two paragraphs?