The Oregon Trail

This letter to a friend is written by a farmer’s wife travelling with her husband and children along the Oregon Trail in mid-1840s.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Oregon Trail specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dear Jane, Blessed be the hour when I can see you again, for the way seems endless and the barriers insurmountable. When we lost our farm[1], I was looking to our trip as to a journey to the Promised Land, but now the everyday hardships are challenging this faith. However, John tells me to stay strong and so I do. During the three months on the road, I have seen more than ever before, so in case you and Paul decide to undertake this trip, the following advice may be of use to you. For your journey, it is vital to buy a good tent and a nice sturdy wagon to move all the belongings and supplies. I would rather recommend a prairie schooner, which is much lighter than a normal Conestoga wagon and driv en by oxen. They move slower than mules, but are much cheaper (as they can easily find food for themselves) and not so likely to be stolen by the Indians [2]. As for provisions, make sure you have enough flour, salt, sugar, tea and coffee, dried beans and fruit, corn and rice. I would not advice to take anything perishable, as it is more a burden than a benefit on this trip; but if you have extra dried goods, you can always change them for travel clothes and moccasins in the mountains[3]. Meat is not a problem here, as wild fowl and game are abundant here, so rifles and ammunition will never be extra. Do not forget to reserve a good sheet-iron stove for your journey as well, since wood is scarce here and a stove is very convenient. As a setting-out point, I would rather advice St. Joseph, since you can avoid crossing several streams which can be very high (several of our fellow-travelers even drowned in them, which was a sad and dramatic occurrence for their families)[4]. The routin e at our camp starts before sunrise, and we travel most part of the day. One of the biggest discomforts is caused by violent windstorms that scatter our tents and wagons and set the cattle stampeding wildly into the unknown. To protect us somehow from the devastation of the storms, our men have invented a simple yet ingenious trick: as soon as the first signs of storm appear, we group the wagons in small circles with oxen chained inside the circles[5].Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One day we were confused by the thunder-like sounds and a heavy dark cloud approaching us, which we first took for a sand-storm. As the cloud drew nearer, we felt the ground trembling and recognized thousands of buffalos rushing past. Happily, they were left on the other side of the stream and did not ruin the camp; otherwise I doubt I would be writing these lines now. Another danger lurks inside the camp i tself: I would have never expected it, but I witness many people, especially little children, getting trampled down by the wagons in the general confusion. That is why I always take care my little ones are in a plain view and never let them go too far away from our wagon. There is another reason for it: although the Indians we have met so far appear to be peaceful, I would not trust these daubed savages anyway, hearing the rumors of their cruelty. It is late now, and tomorrow is another early start, so I cease my writing for a while and hope that this letter brings composure to you. I hope for the best and send blessings to your family. Love, Mary. Bibliography Federal Writers’ Project. Oregon Trail: The Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. Murietta, CA: US History Publishers, 1939. Print. Hill, William E. The Oregon Trail, Yesterday and Today. Caldwell, ID: Caxton Press, 1986. Print. Olson, Stephen P. The Oregon Trail: A Primary Source History of the Route to the American We st. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. Print. Footnotes Olson, Stephen P. The Oregon Trail: A Primary Source History of the Route to the American West. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. Print. P. 32. Federal Writers’ Project. Oregon Trail: The Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. Murietta, CA: US History Publishers, 1939. Print. P. 220. Ibid., pp. 221–222. Federal Writers’ Project. Oregon Trail: The Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. Murietta, CA: US History Publishers, 1939. Print. P. 222. Hill, William E. The Oregon Trail, Yesterday and Today. Caldwell, ID: Caxton Press, 1986. Print. P.  53 This essay on The Oregon Trail was written and submitted by user Dum Dum Dugan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

ArabIsraeli wars essays

ArabIsraeli wars essays The Rabinnovich article titled 'Seven Wars and a Peace Treaty',gives a chronological background of wars made between Arabs and Israeli's after the birth of Israeli state. The Israeli's reffered this war as the war of Independence.It had two distinct phases.It first begun in 1947 after UN resolution on the partition of Palestine.The resolution was accepted by the Jewish community,but Arabs rejected.The result was a civil war.Until May 15, 1948 th two feuding communities tried to predispose the outcome of the full-fledged strife that was bound to folow te evacuation of British forces.As a result,much of fighting was mainly over the control of roads and the mixed cities. After Israeli's declaration of independence,Egypt,Lebanon,Iraq,Syria and Jordan invaded Palestine to help Palestinian Arabs.This war lasted eight months.Israel Defence Forces (IDF) a formal army,fought with 5 arab states armies. By December 1948,it was clear that Israel had won the war.Egyptian army was advanced well into Sinai.Lebanese army was pushed back to its borders and Israelis captured part of South Lebanon.Syrian army was forced to retreat to a line corresponding,to the pre 1948 international boundary.Those zones became demilitarized.The war ended with Jordan in control of what became West Bank.Iraqi army played a minor role,ts major role was pushing the Arab League to intervene in the war. But how could Israel succeed? It enjoyed the benefit of coherent leadership,whose impact was magnified by David Ben-Gurion's ability to integrate military and politiical elements into comphrensive strategy.Israel was predicted on social and political structures of its own long before.Later in the war,it obtained arms and turneits early military disadvantages into advantages.Soviet assistance to Israel was one reflection of the international dimension of the war.By helping Israel,Moscow hoped to disturb the status quo. In the end of the war,Israel had larger area ...

The environment of Knight Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The environment of Knight - Scholarship Essay Example The use of vivid language candidly and comprehensively illuminates the essay by helping the reader form a mental image of the environment that Knight lives in thus making the narration more fascinating and introspective. It makes the story iridescent and enthralling.Knight endeavors to augment his essay by overly using specific examples from her experiences to irradiate the depressing obliviousness and signs desecration that subsists in the contemporary American society. She uses the instances where police rightly accepted $200 fines for hunters who had ostensibly violated laws and when two rabbit hunters walked into Knight’s land and claimed that they have hunted the grounds for years without being caught or probed.I effusively concur with Knight’s assertion that signs are not effective in controlling offenders particularly hunters. There are many conspicuous signs that have been placed to guard and guide conduct but are perfectly disregarded as though they never exist ed. It is common to find signs such as â€Å"NO PARKING† but people haphazardly park in front of or under the sign. People’s intention to harm others and the predominant insidiousness is prodigious and placing signs has proven futile.