Don Wildman

It's a pleasure to be here.

Let's head west.

It is such a storied era of American history, the pioneer days, so many books written, the John Ford movies, even eventually a very famous video game we covered on another episode on this series.

But putting the whole dramatized version aside, it is still such a foundational element of American expansion and American culture, isn't it?

What was going on at that particular time, 1830 to 1840, that sort of laid the groundwork for this decision for so many to go?

There was a tremendous period of economic instability, a regular event in those days, more so than these days.

The panic of 1837 led to a depression, which lasted until the mid-1840s, resulting in the whole menu of things that happens, loss of farms, foreclosures, shrinking opportunity.

There was also a belief that America ought to encourage social mobility, land ownership.

And there was a growing frustration when it didn't.

These are issues that today, you know, have sort of been boiled out of our thought process because we think about making money and mobility that way.

Land has everything to do with improving your lot in life.

Me, I resent my mortgage.

Yeah.

So much for my land.

But that's because somebody else owns it, really.

I mentioned Manifest Destiny in the intro.

How aware were average Americans, those who will be embarking on this trail, of this idea?

And was it any kind of real idea?

factor in motivating people to move?

Were they part of this sort of national mission?