Like thousand of pioneers during the 1840s and 1850s, Lydia Allen Rudd made the long and arduous journey to Oregon and Washington. The migrants' motivations were often complex, but they all hoped to improve their lives. In these selections Rudd recounts the difficulties she and her party encountered during the overland journey.
May 6 1852 Left the Missouri river for our long journey across the wild uncultivated plains and unhabitated except by the red man. As we left the river bottom and ascended the bluffs the view from them was handsome! In front of us as far as vision could reach extended the green hills covered with fine grass. . . . Behind us lay the Missouri with its muddy water hurrying past as if in great haste to reach some destined point ahead all unheeding the impatient emigrants on the opposite shore at the ferrying which arrived faster than they could be conveyed over. About half a miles down the river lay a steamboat stuck fast on a sandbar. Still farther down lay the busy village of St. Joseph looking us a good bye and reminding us that we were leaving all signs of civilised life for the present. But with good courage and not one sigh of regret I mounted my pony (whose name by the way is Samy) and rode slowly on. In going some two miles, the scene changed from bright sunshine to drenching showers of rain this was not quite agreeable for in spite of our good blankets and intentions otherwise we got some wet. The rain detained us so that we have not made but ten miles today. . . .
May 7 I found myself this morning with a severe headache from the effects of yesterday's rain. . . .
There is a toll bridge across this stream kept by the Indians. The toll for our team in total was six bits. We have had some calls this evening from the Indians. We gave them something to eat and they left. Some of them [had] on no shirt only a blanket, whiles others were ornamented in Indian style with their faces painted in spots and stripes feathers and fur on their heads beeds on their neck brass rings on their wrists and arms and in their ears armed with rifles and spears.
May 8 . . . We have come about 12 miles and were obliged to camp in the open prairie without any wood. Mary and myself collected some dry weeds and grass and made a little fire and cooked some meat and the last of our supply of eggs with these and some hard bread with water we made our supper.
May 9 . . . We passed a new made grave today . . . a man from Ohio We also met a man that was going back: he had buried his Wife this morning She died from the effects of measels we have come ten miles today encamped on a small stream called Vermillion creek Wood and water plenty Their are as many as fifty waggons on this stream and some thousand head of stock It looks like a village the tents and waggons extend as much as a mile. . . .
Some are singing some talking and some laughing and the cattle are adding their mite by shaking their bells and grunt[ing]. Mosquitoes are intruding their unwelcome presence. Harry says that I must not sit here any longer writing but go to bed for I will not want to get up early in the morning to get breakfast.
May 10 I got up this morning and got breakfast and before sunrise we had eat in spite of Harry's prophecies to the contrary. . . .
May 11 We had a very heavy fog this morning which cleared up about noon. Our men are not any of them very well this morning. We passed another grave to day which was made this morning. The board stated that he died of cholera. He was from Indiana. We met several that had taken the back track for the states homesick I presume let them go. We have passed through a handsome country and have encamped on the Nimehaw river, the most beautiful spot that ever I saw in my life. I would like to live here. As far as the eye can reach either way lay handsome rolling prairies, not a stone a tree nor a bush even nothing but grass and flowers meets the eye until you reach the valley of the river which is as level as the house floor and about half a mile wide, where on the bank of the stream for two or three rods wide is one of the heaviest belts of timber I ever saw covered with thick foliage so thick that you could not get a glimpse of the stream through it. You can see this belt of timber for three or four miles from the hills on both sides winding through the prairie like some huge snake. We have traveled twelve miles. . . .
May 12 . . . Our men not much better.
May 13 . . . Henry has been no better to day. Soon after we stopped to night a man came along with a wheel barrow going to California: he is a dutchmann. He wheels his provisions and clothing all day and then stops where night overtakes him sleeps on the ground in the open air. He eats raw meat and bread for his supper. I think that he will get tired wheeling his way through the world by the time he gets to California.
May 14 Just after we started this morning we passed four men dig[g]ing a grave. They were packers. The man that had died was taken sick yesterday noon and died last night. They called it cholera morbus. The corpse lay on the ground a few feet from where they were dig[g]ing. The grave it was a sad sight. . . .
On the bank of the stream waiting to cross, stood a dray with five men harnessed to it bound for California. They must be some of the persevering kind I think. Wanting to go to California more than I do. . . . We passed three more graves this afternoon. . . .
Sept. 5 Traveled eighteen miles today encamped on a slough of powder river poor camp not much grass water nor wood. I am almost dead tonight. I have been sick two or three days with the bowel complaint and am much worse tonight.
Sept. 6 We have not been able to leave this miserable place today. I am not as well as yesterday and no physician to be had. We got a little medicine from a train tonight that has checked the disease some, the first thing that has done me any good.
Sept. 7 . . . I am some better today so much so that they ventured to move me this for the sake of a better camp. Mrs. Girtman is also sick with the same disease. Our cattle are most all of them ailing-there are two more that we expect will die every day. . . .
Oct. 8 started early this morning without any breakfast for the very good reason that we had nothing to eat still three miles from the falls safely landed about eight o'clock tired hungry and with a severe cold from last nights exposure something like civilization here in the shape of three or four houses there is an excuse here for a railroad of a mile and half on which to convey bag[g]age below the falls where they can again take water for the steamboat landing. Harry packed our bag[g]age down the railroad and the rest of us walked the car is drawn across the railroad by a mule and they will car[r]y no persons but sick. We again hired an Indian with his canoe to take us from the falls to the steamboat landing ar[r]ived about sundown a great many emigrants waiting for a chance to leave the steamboat and several flat boats lying ready to start out in the morning encamped on the shore for the night.
October 9-October 13 . . .
October 14 . . . I am so anxious to get some place to stop and settle that my patience is not worth much.
October 15-18 . . .
October 19 . . . We have had a very bad day today for traveling it has rained nearly all the time and it has rained very hard some of the time and we have had a miserable road the rain has made the hills very slippery and had to get up and down we have made but eleven miles of travel encamped on the prairie no water for our stock and not much for ourselves.
October 21 . . .
October 22 . . . Traveled three miles this morning and reached the village of Salem it is quite a pretty town a much handsomer place than Oregon City and larger. . . .
I am afraid that we shall be obliged to pack from here the rest of our journey and it will be a wet job another wet rainy day I am afraid that the rain will make us all sick. I am already begin to feel the affects of it by a bad cold.
October 23 . . . We cannot get any wagon to take us on our journey and are obliged to pack the rest of the way Mr. Clark and wife have found a house to live in and employment for the winter and they will stop here in Salem It took us until nearly noon to get our packs fixed for packing went about two miles and it rained so fast that we were obliged to stop got our dinner and supper in one meal cooked in a small cabin ignorant people but kind started again just
October 24-25 . . . October 26 . . . we reached Burlington about two o'clock. There is one store one blacksmith shop and three or four dwelling houses. We encamped close by found Mr. Donals in his store an old acquaintance of my husband's. I do not know what we shall yet conclude on doing for the winter. There is no house in town that we can get to winter in. We shall probably stay here tomorrow and by the time know what we are to do for a while at least.
October 27 . . . Our men have been looking around for a house and employment and have been successful for which I feel very thankful. Harry has gone into copartnership with Mr. Donals in the mercantile business and we are to live in the back part of the store for this winter. Henry and Mary are going into Mr. D---house on his farm for the winter one mile from here. Mr. D---will also find him employment if he wants. I expect that we shall not make a claim after all our trouble in getting here on purpose for one. I shall have to be poor and dependent on a man my life time.
Document Analysis
What is the overall tone of this narrative? Does Rudd appear to regret her decision to migrate to the Pacific? Why or why not?
How does the journey described in this narrative compare with popular media portrayals of western migration? Based on this account, how accurate are these portrayals?
The tone of this story is that of the hardships and sometimes disparity of journeying to the west.Yes she does appear to regret it because her trip has been a miserable one where she is constantly sick. Also when the group ends their journey and comes to the town to settle down for a while she begins to fear that they will turn out not making claim to some land and she will live the rest of her life poor and dependent on her husband.
The portrayals Ive seen, which havent been many, tend to portray the people as true pioneers and sometimes as heroes against the dangers that they face such as Indian attacks or rescuing someone from danger as well as showing that these journeys had happy endings.Based on this account those type of portrayals are pretty much completely inaccurate besides the fact that there were in fact actual dangers and not everyone survived on this relatively long and painstaking journey.
The overall tone of the diary is pessimistic. She seems to regret her decision to go on the hard trek to the Pacific, especially since she became sick on the journey, and she sees on the journey what sickness on the trail can bring, death.
The media often portrays the trek as not that hard. They show the heroism and the patriotism in moving to the west. They may show Indian attacks and exciting deaths, but they will never show the unglamorous, but very real side that describes how sick everyone got on the journey to the west.
What is the overall tone of this narrative? Does Rudd appear to regret her decision to migrate to the Pacific? Why or why not?
How does the journey described in this narrative compare with popular media portrayals of western migration? Based on this account, how accurate are these portrayals?
1. The overall tone of this narrative is very negative. She does appear to regret her decision because she seems like being sick over the voyage was not worth it.
2. The journey described in this narrative compares with popular media portrayals of western migration are somewhat similar. Both describe the journey as ruthless and terrifying. Also, both describe the hardships most travelers face while making the journey. I think these portrayals are accurate because it was no easy journey for anyone to make.
1. Her tone starts off optimistic and then becomes the complete opposite. As she continues on with her story she finds more and more signs against the movement such as graves, unsatisfied people, and unwelcoming weather which makes her sick. As she gets to her destination she is disapointed.
2. The media often shows sunny days with few encounters from indians here and there but they usually show nothing of the extreme difficulty, harsh weather with the sickness and death that comes along with it. They also never show disapointment and fear for the migrator's future.
The tone of the narrative is weary.The writer, Lydia Rudd seems overwhelmed with the harsh conditions that she and the others in her travel party have had to put up with.At the beginning of the journey she seems excited and talks about the beautiful scenery but after the first entry her tone changes.She describes illness, death, bad weather, lack of food and water and overall difficult travel conditions.In the end I do think that she regrets her decision to migrate to the Pacific because she is disappointed at where they end up and she feels that the journey may end there for her.She is upset that they did not reach their goal, to claim a piece of land and she doesnt think that they will ever claim one.She expresses her regret when she says, I shall have to be poor and dependent on a man my life time.
The journey described in this narrative is different than the accounts portrayed in the media.Western movies basically show all people moving west in covered wagons as a large group with plenty of food and supplies during their journey.There are big differences between those portrayals and this narrative.Also in Western movies you would see the white travelers always on the look out for Indians and you most likely would see the Indians attacking the white migrants.This is different than Lydia Rudds account.She writes that they were visited by Indians who sat and ate with them and how the Indians manned the toll bridge.The media portrayals are not accurate when compared to this narrative.
1. The narrative starts out on her voyage optimistic and pleasured to be going on such a journey but as the journey goes on she begins to regret it more and more. She sees signs that tell her she should go back such as people burying their loved ones and returning from their trip to the pacific unsatisfied.
I believe the narrative regrets her decision for her journey was not worth all the hardships and in her new lifestyle she must become dependent on a man for economic reasons.
2. The media often portrays the western migration as a dificult journey but does not describe the hardships and leads people to believe that although it was a difficult trip it was not back breaking work which is not true people got sick died and often starved from lack of food which in popular media is often left out.
1. She seems to regret her descision to come on the journey. She has gotten sick on the way and when she gets to the destination she realizes that she will have to depend on a men to support her all her life and that doesnt make her excited.
2. They describe the journey as a difficult one. With bad weather conditions, deaths, illnesses, and starvation.
What is the overall tone of this narrative? Does Rudd appear to regret her decision to migrate to the Pacific? Why or why not? The overall tone of this narrative is a mixture between anger and misery. To me Mrs. Rudd gets annoyed with the traveling. Nothing good seems to happen. She gets sick, and witnesses death often. I believe that Mrs. Rudd does eventually regret her decision to migrate to the Pacific because the last line of her narrative says I shall have to be poor and dependent on a man my life time. She does not seem to be happy to move to the west at all. This migration process did not benefit her in any way. How does the journey described in this narrative compare with popular media portrayals of western migration? Based on this account, how accurate are these portrayals? The journey described in this narrative is similar to popular media portrayals of western migration. Most portrayals talk about the hardships of the journey people made such as starvation, death, diseases, malnutrition, and exhaustion. I never really heard about how beautiful the land actually was until I read this narrative; a bunch people just concentrate on the misery and the bad things that occurred. No one really talks about the good things that happened, about the bonds or friendships that were made, or the land, and how handsome it was.
1.What is the overall tone of this narrative? Does Rudd appear to regret her decision to migrate to the Pacific? Why or why not?
The overall tone is very dark and dismal due to the uncomfortable, muddy, and wet environment she describes. She writes, Mrs. Girtman is also sick with the same disease. Our cattle are most all of them ailing-there are two more that we expect will die every day . . . describing the many people (and pack animals) afflicted with deadly disease and death. The consistency of sickness, disease, and death on the trail helps to increase the despair of those traveling on it. In her diary she writes We have not been able to leave this miserable place today, which leads one to believe that she regrets moving west to the Pacific. At the end of this series of diary entries she writes, I expect that we shall not make a claim after all our trouble in getting here on purpose for one. I shall have to be poor and dependent on a man my lifetime. Which really finalizes her despair and disappointment by having her hopes and dreams of prosperity in the west crushed by her inability to reach beyond the bonds of poverty and her dependence on her husband.
What is the overall tone of this narrative? Does Rudd appear to regret her decision to migrate to the Pacific? Why or why not?
- Her general tone in the narrative was tired, gloomy and frustrated with all of the hardships she had to deal with. She mentions how she sees new graves all of the time and it seems to dampen her already somber spirits. When she falls ill herself, she seems to realize the harsh life she has waiting for her in the west. It was after this when she finally starts to regret her ultimate decision to move to the Pacific.
How does the journey described in this narrative compare with popular media portrayals of western migration? Based on this account, how accurate are these portrayals?
- Popular media, as always tries to convey the most interesting, even sometimes inaccurate accounts, of everything. When you hear about the west in modern media you hear about the cowboys, bandits and the freedom they had to roam the west. The other first hand accounts that I have read however show a more factual portrayal of westward migration.
2. How does the journey described in this narrative compare with popular media portrayals of western migration? Based on this account, how accurate are these portrayals?
In popular media the western migration is generally shown in a positive light by portraying it as a wild adventure (which may be true in some cases) leading to a life of prosperity, independence, and tranquility. However in this account a very different image is formed. One that magnifies the hardships and despair brought on by bad weather conditions and environment, sickness and disease, and especially death that popular media fails to display. And upon arriving at their destination many settlers found making a living there just as difficult as the journey there, which in is in many cases missing from pop. media portrayals. These renditions are not very accurate because they play off many of the stereotypes and generalizations about this event, or in many cases remove some of the hardships that real western settlers had to deal with to make that particular portrayal more entertaining or convey a certain mood toward its audience.
There are however many who are exceptions and do portray the image of the western migration from the point of view from those who lived it. These portrayals are in my opinion more accurate than those kinds mentioned above because they base their renditions on facts and first hand accounts of those real settlers to convey a much more historically accurate portrayals.
1. This narrative seems to have a negative, woeful tone to it. She describes how her trip is gradually going downhill and how everyone around her is getting sick and dying. She states how they pass by graves everyday. 2. These portrayals of travel to the west during the 1800s are very close to fact. Death of animals and humans, disease, shortage of food and bad weather conditions were all problems that pioneers and travelers faced during the 1800s
1. The narrator is successful in conveying the misery many must have felt journeying to distant and alien lands. Sickness was ever-present, as was the lack of food and water. All this adversity, coupled with the traveling conditions, painted the picture of an opportunistic and prospering West in a darker light.
2. The one area general portrayals fail to emphasize is the complete demoralization many of the trekkers felt as they, like the narrator, came to grips with the harsh realities of frontier life. Hopes and aspirations died as these settlers experienced the isolation and difficulties of Westward expansion. It was often a cruel letdown the West they had dreamt of knowing and the one they came to face. This I have almost never seen in the media. I think the psyche of these people after the move and during the problems would prove to be compelling.
1.What is the overall tone of this narrative? Does Rudd appear to regret her decision to migrate to the Pacific? Why or why not? Lydia Allen Rudd describes the hardships and difficulties in migrating to the Pacific. She seems to regret it because of the trouble and sickness she encountered on the way.
2.How does the journey described in this narrative compare with popular media portrayals of western migration? Based on this account, how accurate are these portrayals? Media portrayls of western migration capture the poor situations the people are leaving and the overall better lifestyles in the west but they forget the hardships they face along the way. The media portrayls are about half accurate with information involving western migration for reasons mentioned.
