How were Native Americans experiences moving and working out West similar to or different from those of the white settlers in the song "I Will Go West!"?
Oh! times are tough, amazing rough,
Expenses are alarming,
I will go West, it's far the best,
Try my luck at farming.
For the idea, of staying here
To just earn your gruel,
Makes me feel sad and sometimes mad
'Tis so awful and cruel
Goods are so high, I heave a sigh,
At the cost of living,
My loving wife, she sees my strife,
And has a spell of crying.
Now there's my boys, my chiefest joys,
To have them in the City,
Amid the harm, gives me alarm,
And I ache with pity.
And there's my girls, with auburn curls
May be slaves to fashion,
And lay such stress, on how to dress,
Becomes a ruling passion.
Now it's no use, I've stood abuse
I'll take all with dear Mary,
Settle down in a country town,
Farm it on a prairie.
My barns replete with corn and wheat,
Lots of milk and butter,
T'would be a shame, to here complain,
Or a murmur utter.
Now we'll start with cheerful heart
Nor fear our journey hinders,
For we don't care, a single hair
For smoke or flying cinders.
On end of car, we'll shout hurrah,
Farewell, friend and neighbor,
We're going where there's bread to spare,
Easy time of labor.
The experiences of Native Americans moving and working out West were vastly different from those of the white settlers in the song "I Will Go West!" Native Americans were forcibly removed from their land by the US government through policies such as the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears, resulting in displacement, loss of culture and way of life, and in many cases, death. They were often pushed onto reservations and faced discrimination, violence, and assimilation efforts by the white settlers.
In contrast, the white settlers in the song are portrayed as making a voluntary decision to move West in search of better opportunities and a simpler way of life. They are looking to escape the high cost of living and urban pressures in the East and start a new life as farmers on the prairie. Their journey is depicted as a hopeful and positive experience, with a sense of adventure and excitement.
Overall, the white settlers in the song "I Will Go West!" had a more privileged and voluntary experience of moving and working out West compared to the Native Americans who were forcibly removed from their land and faced numerous challenges and injustices.