reading response #9

.pdf

School

Humboldt State University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

110

Subject

History

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by SuperFreedomStork31

The source that I have chosen is about Harriet L. Noble and her family’s experiences during and after immigration from New York to Michigan following The War of 1812. The author of this excerpt is Harriet L. Noble, an early pioneer of western settlement during the 19th century. What she is trying to achieve in her writing is to preserve her and her family's experience of their hardships that were endured during their settlement in the “new country.” With the way that Noble ends her writing by saying, “but I am satisfied that with all the disadvantages of raising a family in a new country, there is a consolation in knowing that our children are prepared to brave the ills of life, I believe, far better than they would have been had we never left New York.” I believe that she may have also intended for this to be an inspiration for other families to immigrate west. Whether intentional or not, Noble's account serves as an important historical source that provides great insight into what it was like for pioneers of the early west. This source was extremely interesting and eye opening as to what families had to go through in order to move to another state. Their resilience is astonishing, and from what Noble described she did her best to not only keep going physically but also emotionally. She described that for the most part her and her husband tried to stay cheerful even through times of hardship. What shocked me was her account of how they had to cook food when they first arrived in Michigan. She explained how their clothes would frequently catch on fire from the wind being able to run through the house because of the lack of windows and doors. This source has reinforced my preexisting beliefs of this time period. I did know that early western settlement was rough and that the people who first settled on new land had to face many obstacles. Although, as someone who lives in the 21st century in a first world country, it is also very eye opening when I read a first hand account of someone who actually went through it and to understand the actual events that they had to go through. I believe that people who were living in the early 19th century would have applauded Noble and her family for making the immigration to Michigan. Many people may have looked at her story as an inspiration for them and their families. As stated in the textbook, “Immigration caused by the market revolution, however, caused the country’s population to grow fastest in northern states like New York.” which in turn caused many people to have desires to move west in search of more land and opportunities.

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