Paul Newcomb

Chapter 9 Feature Essay Discussion Questions

1. How did the experiences of Native American migrants to the West compare with those of
white Americans?

The main difference was that Native Americans were forced to move West, while white people
often chose to move West in hopes of exploring and discovering new opportunities. However, it
was a very difficult experience for both groups. The new environment was very harsh compared
to what they had grown accustomed to in the East.

2. Why did so many migrants to the West become sick?

Malaria was a big problem in the new environment for both whites and Native Americans. It was
so common that it was an expected sickness that everybody would have to endure. Combined
with the stressors of a new and foreign environment, sickness was an inevitability. Additionally,
the Native Americans that were subjected to the Trail of Tears suffered the most. About one
fourth of them died, and those that didn’t die experience unimaginable suffering and sickness.

3. Why was it so difficult for Native Americans and whites to adapt to new environments in
the West?

The Western lands were mainly a prairie environment. They had been used to the woodland
environment of the East. There was a lack of suitable forestry for building and heating. Also,
they did not have access to the same types of food sources. New methods of hunting had to be
learned, and new food sources had to be adjusted to. The climate was much different from East,
especially in the south. People raised in a cold climate did not fair very well in the sweltering
heat. Lastly, the condition of the soil was not familiar to them, and was often very poor. They
weren’t familiar with the methods of cultivating the seemingly less fertile soils of the Western
land.