HIST 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Great American Desert, Zebulon Pike, Josiah Gregg
Document Summary
Interesting, fun stories that give history a little bit of interest: myths. Explains american identity on a greater scale: epics. Tales that people feel they need to tell younger generations because it explains who americans are: crossing the plains. Many people viewed the plains as something they had to cross to get to a better place: interstate syndrome. East coast people simply wanted to travel across the plains without settling there: the great american desert. Very few streams and hills: two trails. Santa fe trail: road of commerce, 1820s, ascending the arkansas to new mexico. Oregon (california, mormon) trail: farm family migration, 1840s, ascending the platte to oregon, california, or utah: santa fe trail. William becknell 1821: national park service. Federal funded group: santa fe trail association. History enthusiast who try to connect the present with. Cimarron cutoff the past: where the santa fe trail split off near the cimarron river. Middle spring: major landmark on the cimarron cutoff.
