American Life on the Frontier

Reading Zinn and the linked articles for tomorrow, I was struck by the remembrance of Cullen's "Dream of Upward Mobility."  I felt that this was particularly relevant at this time when the Homestead Act was passed and Western Expansion was at its fullest.   the HOmestead Act of 1862 allowed private citizens to develop land that was previously publicly owned.  If one was the head of a household or over the age of 21, one could claim 160 acres of land to farm and develop and eventually claim, if improvements were deemed sufficient at the end of five years.  I was struck by the fact that even immigrants and single women were allowed to partake in this facet of the dream of upward mobility.  The sheer numbers of people who participated in homesteading indicates the presence of this form of the American dream.   This idea was reflected also in Zinn's chapters on the West.   He mentions that new technology paved the way for different types of jobs for Americans, and that immigrants found themselves working at more strenuous jobs, with political machines, in factories, as servants, housepainting, etc.   However, the dream of upward mobility continued to be prevalent during this time, as seen by efforts to eliminate the control of monopolies and to strike for equal and fair working rights for women and the poor.   The presence of anarchy and rebellion, and eventually foreign expansion under the Monroe doctrine all point to the continued wish for upward mobility from even the lowest of classes.  However, it was not to be certain whether or not everyone would be able to partake.  While, as mentioned earlier, immigrants and women could homestead, there were limits- one had to be preparing to be a citizen, or a single woman.   and strikes and rebellion didn't mean success for many poor workers.  However, in these readings, I found the dream of upward mobility, once again, to be a major source of inspiration for the American people.