Narcissa Whitman
My perspective on Westward Expansion
Narcissa Whitman
Narcissa Whitman
Marcus and Narcissa Whitman
Why I moved west
I was born on March 14 of 1808, in Steuben County, New York. By the age of eleven I became interested in the life of Harriet Boardman, and by 16 years of age I knew I wanted to be a missionary. Later in life, the day after I married my husband Marcus, and we started west to form a mission in Oregon County, finally achieving my dream of becoming a missionary.
My impact on Westward Expansion
I was one of the first women to go west, and my husband and I were very influential in the start of the Oregon trail. I worked very hard to make my mission a success and set and example for missionaries in the west.
Manifest Destiny
The idea that America is destined to expand from coast to coast, now isn't that a great idea. My impact was to spread our religion first, then maybe we can finally expand from coast to coast. Even if the Native Americans can't except our religion, at least what my husband and I have teaching them might give them an idea about what we stand for and, then we might be able to live peacefully together.
Life in Oregon
When I arrived in Oregon I was one of the first settlers and not much was there. My husband and I worked very hard at the mission, he ran most religious ceremonies, and I kept up our house, assisted in religious ceremonies, and taught at mission school. I do enjoy all the fresh air, and I love teaching the kids, but is a little lonely with very few people living near the mission.
Quote
"Girls, how do you think we manage to rest ourselves every noon, having no house to shelter us from the scorching heat, or sofa on which to recline? Perhaps you think we always encamp in the shade of some thick wood. Such a sight I have not seen, lo, these many weeks. ." - Narcissa's letter to family on August 27, 1836 near the Snake River west of Fort Hall
Works Cited
PBS. PBS. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. https://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/whitman.htm
United States. National Park Service. "Narcissa Whitman." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. http://www.nps.gov/oreg/learn/historyculture/history2.htm