ErinMcNally

HistoryoftheAmericanWest
@10383936

Painters,illustrators,moviemakers,andtelevisionwritershaveallhelpedcreatean
imageoftheAmericanarmyintheWest.
Logcabinsandwagontrains,cowboysandIndians,
BuffaloBillandGeneralCuster.Theseandotherfrontierimagespervadeourlives,fromfiction
tofilmstoadvertising,wheretheyattachthemselvestoproductsfrompancakesyruptocologne,
bluejeanstobanks.Theseimageshavecreatedsuchalongstandingandproblematicholdon
Americanthoughtsinregardstowesternexpansion.
TheexpansionoftheAmericanwestwascarriedoutbymanyexplorers,andbyfrontier
armies.Raceandclassgreatlyaffectedthelivesoftheenlistedmen,andtheofficersoverthem.
Theclimate,andNativeAmericanIndiansproposedvarioustypesofdangers,destructivewars
andgreatdiscoveries.WhatmostAmericansknowabouttheexpansionintheWestcanbe
describedthroughnumerousJohnWaynewesternmoviesdepictingafriendlyrelationshipwith
theNativeAmericanIndians.InrealitythefrontierarmystrippedNativeAmericanIndiansof
theirrights,andkilledmanymore.Thefrontierarmydepictedinmovies,andthroughillustration
isapoorexampleofwhatthistimeofbrutality,andsuffragewasreallylike.Theexpansionof
thewestbythefrontierarmywasnteasilydone,itrequiredcarefulplanning,war,strategy,
alongwithdeterminationandthesacrificeofmanypeople.
OneofthedeterminingfactorsaboutlifeintheU.S.ArmyonthefrontiersofAmerica
wasthesmallsizeoftheforceengagedinoperationsinrelativeisolationfromthecountryand
fromtherestoftheArmy.(1)ThisisolationbredastrongsenseofcamaraderiewithintheArmy.
Theofficersandmenoftenfeltpartofanextendedfamilythathadtolookinwardforstrength
asitreliedonitsowncustoms,rituals,andsenseofhonorseparatefromthatdistantcivilian
worldorevenfromtheverydifferentmilitarysocietybackeast.(2)Thisisolationalsobrought

frontierpostlifeidealssuchas,formalparades,Saturdaynightdancesfortheofficers,distinctive
uniforms,andunitnicknamesasattemptstodealwiththetensionsandpressuresofadifficult
lifeasasoldier.(3)Whileperhapsglamorousinhindsight,oroftenseeninHollywoodmovies,
suchsmallcommunitiesalsohadtheirshareofdrunkenness,corruption,argumentsoverrank
andquarters,whichiswellknowntoanyonewhohasexperiencedlifeinsmalltownAmerica.
TheFrontierarmycontainedaninflexibleclassbarrierthatstoodbetweentheofficers
andenlisted.Officerslivedingreatwealthandcomfort,whileenlisteessufferedpoverty,
neglect,andabuse.Althoughracismwasingrainedinofficialpolicyandinformalbehavior,no
similarprejudicecoloredtheexperienceofsoldierswhowereimmigrants.Officersandenlisted
menpaidnoattentiontoethnicdifferences,butdidhowevercareaboutthesocialclassof
people.Officerswouldoftenflauntandprotecttheirstatus,whileenlistedmensatenragedin
theirpoverty.Thisdifferenceamongstclassescausedconflictinthefrontierarmybycreatinga
wallofsegregationamongstofficerandenlistedsoldier.
AstrongsenseofNativismalsocontrolledtherankinginthefrontierarmy.Nativismisa
policyofprotectingtheinterestsofnativebornorestablishedinhabitantsagainstthoseof
immigrants.(1)Duetothefactthatalmost40percentoftheenlisteeswereforeignbornmany
nativebornAmericanshadmuchhatredtowardsthemandworriedabouthowthatwouldaffect
theirranking,andwouldtheylosethatrankingtosomeonethatwasforeignborn.Intodays
societyweseethissametypeofhatrednativismagainstimmigrantsfromMexicoasmostcome
toseekemploymenthereintheUnitedStates.Inthefrontierarmythathatredandangerexisted

asmanyforeignerswereseenaspeopleoflowerclass,andcultureespeciallypeopleofIrish
descent.
MostAmericansviewtheAmericanwestasaseriesofwesternmoviesthatsoftenthe
storyofwhatactuallyhappenedwhilethefrontierarmyexpandedterritory.Whatthemoviesfail
toconveyisthebrutalityandterrorthattheNativeAmericanIndianssufferedatthehandsofthe
frontierarmy.ThetacticsofthefrontierarmywereaimedatthetotaldestructionoftheIndian
culture,andtoclaimthelandinthewest.TodothistheycapturedandtransportedtheNative
AmericanIndianstoputtheminreservationcampstoworkinattemptstoassimilatethemto
whiteculture.Thosewhoresistedwerekilled,raped,ortortured.Thefactsofthewestern
expansionhavealmostnocomparisontothemovies,andtelevisionmostpeoplehaveseen.The
factsmorecloselycomparetotheworksofAdolfHitleragermanleaderwhoproposedthathe
cleansesocietycausingthedeathofmillionsofJewishpeople.Thefrontierarmycauseda
massivekillingoftheNativeAmericanIndiansbystrippingthemoftheirbasichumanrightsby
forcingthemintoreservations,andkillingallwhoopposed.
Thefrontierarmyalsoinfluencedotherpartsoftheamericanwest.S
oldiersbuiltforts,
andconstructedpathsandroadsforeasiertransportation.Soldiersalsolaidtelegraphcablesto
furtherexpandcommunicationinthewesttoplacesinAmericathatwerealreadymodernized.
Theyalsobuiltreservoirsanddamsforeffectivewaterstorageandguardedrailroadlines.
The
armyconductedexplorations,compiledscientificandartisticrecords,aidedoverlandtravelers,
andimprovedrivertransportation.Armypostsofferednucleifortowns,andsoldiersdelivered
federalmails,undertookagriculturalexperiments,andassembledweatherrecordsfor

forecasting.
Andlastlysoldiersservedasafrontierconstabularyinareaswherecivilianlawhad
yettobeimplemented.()Thishelpedtoestablishasequentiallawsystemforthisterritory.This
abundanceofgrowingprosperityallowedforpeopletostartexpandingtothewesternterritoryin
searchoffarmland,work,andopportunity.
Theimagesdepictedinmovies,andillustrationsinbooksonlyshowasmallvery
unrealisticideaoflifeduringthewesternexpansion.Thefrontierarmywerethesteeringpointin
theexpansion,travelingandseizingterritoryfromNativeAmericanIndians,whilecreatingsmall
townsandmodernizingsocietyforpeopletomovewestwardinsearchofland.
Raceandclass
greatlyaffectedthelivesoftheenlistedmen,andtheofficersoverthem.Theclimate,andNative
AmericanIndiansproposedvarioustypesofdangers,destructivewarsandgreatdiscoveries.
TheideaoftheAmericanWestisusuallydescribedascowboys,guns,andsaloons,when
inrealityitisaboutthesacrificesmadebymeninthefrontierarmyandtheirworktoexpandthe
countrybycreatingmeansforlargetransportation.IndoingsotheyalsokilledmanyNative
AmericanIndians,claimedtheirland,andmovedthemtodistinctreservationstobecome
Americanized.Thewesternexpansionbythefrontierarmycausedmanyconflicts,butcreated
thebasisofcivilizationduringthattime.Throughwar,chaos,determination,anddeath,thewest
wastakenandcontrolledbythefrontierarmyandmadeintoacivilization.