NationStates Jolt Archive

Well it is coming time to write my Research paper on the history American west.
So If any of you have anything you'd like to know about the quote era of cowboys and Indians I may consider writing my paper over the subject.
I am leaning toward a comparison of captivity narrations ( of white children) to the Stockholm syndrome, along with the revulsion white society had for these whites gone "savage".

the professors PHD is in environmental history so i'd like to avoid that subject since he is likely to go over it with a fine tooth comb.

time frame is just pror to the Texas war for independence to just after the Oregon trail.

The true story of who shot who in the OK Corral.

EDIT: It's been bugging me for years now, like 120 or so.

Did Morgan & Wyatt Earp start the Deadwood fire of 1879? (maybe in the employ of George Hurst?) Some said Wyatt was in Las Vegas at the time but no one is absolutly sure. Some have claimed it could have been a Wyatt look alike in Vegas. Remember, Morgan & Wyatt Earp's plan when they arrived in Deadwood was to murder the sherriff and steal his job. And it was just a couple of months after the Deadwood fire when the Earps showd up waaaaaay out in Tombstone.

The Earps had a very dark side.

The true story of who shot who in the OK Corral.

EDIT: It's been bugging me for years now, like 120 or so.

like who shot first ? that will always be speculated on.
Or the cause of the gun fight?
The Earp + holiday versus the Clanton, Claiborne, and McLaury were cowboys.

The Earps being businessmen used their position in city politics to get elected sheriff or Marshall ETC. and other various positions of authority with in the city of tombstone. With in the City they held power however the cowboys who lived outside the city held power at the county levels as at the time rural populations out numbered the city (town) populations by a large margin. Which is why in the movie Wyatt Earp you see the judge was not sympathetic to them, as he was a county official. Party affiliation wise the Earps were a republican and the cowboys were democrat.

it is really hard for me to write a ten page paper on one gun fight. Though I could broaden the subject and focus on range wars in general. That flared up through out the west.

SNIP

it is really hard for me to write a ten page paper on one gun fight. Though I could broaden the subject and focus on range wars in general. That flared up through out the west.

I was merely making a half-assed suggestion of zero seriousness on topic that has been covered to death. I haven't done papers or research assignments since high school so I don't have a whole lot to suggest other than go with a fairly original topic of sorts, something the Wyatt and friends aren't.

While I can't really give you an idea for a paper, I sympathise with your plight. I've got to figure out a thesis topic for next year, and the professors take it all very seriously - so I've been trying all day to come up with a do-able topic that hasn't been done so far and constitutes a meaningful contribution to scientific economics.

But if I have to contribute something, do something analysing how economic conditions and motives drove people to shoot each other in these range wars.

What about something on the effects of the Lincoln County War on the beef trade?

I was going to suggest something about the western mining/union wars or the murder of Governor Frank Steunenberg, but those are too late in time for your subject.

I'll give it some more thought.

While I can't really give you an idea for a paper, I sympathise with your plight. I've got to figure out a thesis topic for next year, and the professors take it all very seriously - so I've been trying all day to come up with a do-able topic that hasn't been done so far and constitutes a meaningful contribution to scientific economics.


*feels pain*

Have to come up with a thesis on International Law.... or legalities of International Courts and their jurisdictions .... or.... etc *sigh*

Well it is coming time to write my Research paper on the history American west.
So If any of you have anything you'd like to know about the quote era of cowboys and Indians I may consider writing my paper over the subject.
I am leaning toward a comparison of captivity narrations ( of white children) to the Stockholm syndrome, along with the revulsion white society had for these whites gone "savage".

the professors PHD is in environmental history so i'd like to avoid that subject since he is likely to go over it with a fine tooth comb.

time frame is just pror to the Texas war for independence to just after the Oregon trail.
If you end up doing it on gun ownership, just make sure you don't use this, Michael Bellesiles’ Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun
Culture (Knopf, 2000) for research...
http://www.news.emory.edu/Releases/Final_Report.pdf

Emory ended up firing him for making it all up.

I would write a paper on how it was legal to shoot Indians off reserve at the time.

If you end up doing it on gun ownership, just make sure you don't use this, Michael Bellesiles’ Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun
Culture (Knopf, 2000) for research...
http://www.news.emory.edu/Releases/Final_Report.pdf

Emory ended up firing him for making it all up.

part of me wants to do it just to give him a hear attack. though for a 10 page paper I will need more then one source.

How set is your timeline? Everything I can think of seems to come too late or too early.

Your original idea sounds pretty good, though.

Well it is coming time to write my Research paper on the history American west.
So If any of you have anything you'd like to know about the quote era of cowboys and Indians I may consider writing my paper over the subject.
I am leaning toward a comparison of captivity narrations ( of white children) to the Stockholm syndrome, along with the revulsion white society had for these whites gone "savage".

the professors PHD is in environmental history so i'd like to avoid that subject since he is likely to go over it with a fine tooth comb.

time frame is just pror to the Texas war for independence to just after the Oregon trail.
i like your idea. id be interested in reading stuff if you want to throw some sources my way when you get them--or your final thesis if its not too boring (too much technical language that makes my head fuzzy)

i dont have any stories but living i live in new mexico and enjoy stories of the old west and the santa fe trail (and the camino real). would you also do stories of hispanics who were taken into southwestern tribes?

part of me wants to do it just to give him a hear attack. though for a 10 page paper I will need more then one source.
Hey, I'm sure he lied about his citations, too. Just use them.

Was there also a flip side of Native American children forcibly removed from there culture, so that you could contrast the two experiences?

Was there also a flip side of Native American children forcibly removed from there culture, so that you could contrast the two experiences?

Yes. There was. And it was far more pervasive, and lasted a lot longer. There are still survivors alive today who have gone through that, so it's not really an 'old US west' thing. It was more like 'most of the british commonwealth nations until very recently' thing.

Yes. There was. And it was far more pervasive, and lasted a lot longer. There are still survivors alive today who have gone through that, so it's not really an 'old US west' thing. It was more like 'most of the british commonwealth nations until very recently' thing.

it happened in the US west too. Interesting the native children did not adopt white ways very well at all. a few did. but most returned to the reservation as soon as they could. and then realized they were unable to fit in there.

I would write a paper on how it was legal to shoot Indians off reserve at the time.

Or just flat out massacre them. See: Sand Creek Massacre for an example.

I would write a paper on how it was legal to shoot Indians off reserve at the time.

in most states they had to be in a group of 5 or more because then it was considered a possible war party.

What about something on the effects of the Lincoln County War on the beef trade?

No?

No?

it would be useful. the economics would give me lots of data to use. and billy the kid would give me a pull.

it would be useful. the economics would give me lots of data to use. and billy the kid would give me a pull.

Sounded dry enough for a person with your professor's major to like.

it happened in the US west too. Interesting the native children did not adopt white ways very well at all. a few did. but most returned to the reservation as soon as they could. and then realized they were unable to fit in there.

Some of the schools are still around. Sherman Indian School in Riverside, CA is still open and still attended (voluntarily) by Indians of various tribes.

Some of the schools are still around. Sherman Indian School in Riverside, CA is still open and still attended (voluntarily) by Indians of various tribes.

I was referring to the involuntary and attempt to culturally brainwash. Seen in in the early 20th century and before.

I was referring to the involuntary and attempt to culturally brainwash. Seen in in the early 20th century and before.

These are a holdover from those days. They are boarding schools. The original intent was to "educate" Native Americans into white values while suppressing their culture(s). Now, while they are still boarding schools, the intent is to support Native American culture(s) while giving them an education that will get them into college.

These are a holdover from those days. They are boarding schools. The original intent was to "educate" Native Americans into white values while suppressing their culture(s). Now, while they are still boarding schools, the intent is to support Native American culture(s) while giving them an education that will get them into college.

yes but you can go to a boarding school with out being a minority.
Its just using the physical building to provide education. Programs to provide education to native Americans who want it would likely exist still even if those horrendous programs of the past had not.

yes but you can go to a boarding school with out being a minority.
Its just using the physical building to provide education. Programs to provide education to native Americans who want it would likely exist still even if those horrendous programs of the past had not.


I guess I'm not being clear. These schools are still for Indians and only for Indians. All I said was that many of schools are still active, with the same names, and the same target population, only the intent has changed.

I guess I'm not being clear. These schools are still for Indians and only for Indians. All I said was that many of schools are still active, with the same names, and the same target population, only the intent has changed.

American indians get several things like this. mostly due to various treaties and the like. they are also the only group that gets reservations and some flexabilty in regards to law (can build casinos regardless of state law)

yes but you can go to a boarding school with out being a minority.
Its just using the physical building to provide education. Programs to provide education to native Americans who want it would likely exist still even if those horrendous programs of the past had not.
oh you need to read up on the indian schools. and how the govt used to go to the reservations and grab children off the streets to take to those schools. it was part of the government policy to solve "the indian problem" by forcing assimilation.

Did Morgan & Wyatt Earp start the Deadwood fire of 1879? (maybe in the employ of George Hurst?) Some said Wyatt was in Las Vegas at the time but no one is absolutly sure. Some have claimed it could have been a Wyatt look alike in Vegas. Remember, Morgan & Wyatt Earp's plan when they arrived in Deadwood was to murder the sherriff and steal his job. And it was just a couple of months after the Deadwood fire when the Earps showd up waaaaaay out in Tombstone.

The Earps had a very dark side.
Ach, just watch Deadwood and forget about historical accuracy.

the american old west was invented on a back lot in hollywood.

what really happened was a bunch of greedy rednecks (with the backing, i might add, of the government and its military) genocided a bunch of people who were already living there.


other then that, it was actually more peaceful and civilized then the more populated and industrialized american east. which is preciesely why, such violent incidents as did take place, were so much noted and noteworthy. having a more contrasting background to stand out against and thus be made more visible by.

American indians get several things like this. mostly due to various treaties and the like. they are also the only group that gets reservations and some flexabilty in regards to law (can build casinos regardless of state law)

Seeing that their reservations are their sovereign territory I'd expect such flexibility. Of course, tribes don't have the same level of sovereignty as states, they're more analogous to territories. Here's the site of the tribe in the town I'm from, they explain it better.

http://www.sagchip.org/council/events/2000/082800-sovereignty-defined.htm

oh you need to read up on the indian schools. and how the govt used to go to the reservations and grab children off the streets to take to those schools. it was part of the government policy to solve "the indian problem" by forcing assimilation.

yes that was part of the horrendous program i was referring to. and grabbing off the streets was uncommon withholding rations until the tribe sent X amount of kids to the boarding school was much more the norm.


Surely just because of the past you would not close down schools.

yes that was part of the horrendous program i was referring to. and grabbing off the streets was uncommon withholding rations until the tribe sent X amount of kids to the boarding school was much more the norm.


Surely just because of the past you would not close down schools.
there arent very many left. if they have been reformed to good use for voluntary students, i have no problem with them.

yes that was part of the horrendous program i was referring to. and grabbing off the streets was uncommon withholding rations until the tribe sent X amount of kids to the boarding school was much more the norm.

the grabing of children by force was done by 'volunteers' invading 'the rez'. undoubtedly it would have been less common in urban areas where there would have been more impartial witnessess.