ST SEBASTIAN’S

Steve Thomasy at the top of Independence Rock. This outcropping,
visible from a great distance, marked the halfway point of the Oregon
Trail from Independence, Missouri, to Portland, Oregon.
In the post-Civil War period, the western frontier was in the
process of settlement, primarily by whites, but also including small
groups of freed slaves and Asian laborers. These territories were less
bound by tradition than was the
East, where the notion of
“separate spheres” in gender roles
was more entrenched in societal
patterns of behavior. Men were
to run businesses and politics,
while women controlled homelife
and the raising of the
children – the so called “cult of
domesticity.” Although this
division of labor was certainly
not the universal practice, it was a powerful force against the
argument for women’s suffrage. Needless to say, the educated
women who were at the forefront of the Abolitionist Movement were
sorely disappointed when the 15th Amendment granted suffrage to
freed male slaves, but not to women who possessed much higher
social status. Women looked west for opportunities. On the frontier,
gender roles were less rigid, and all available hands were needed just
to survive. In Wyoming, as an example, a majority of men worked
underground in mining enterprises. Women, with the help of
available children, were required to manage farms and small
businesses.
The western territories were initially settled by waves of men,
who displaced the aboriginal population, and who sought new
opportunities in the post-Civil War environment. When these men
wanted to establish a “civilized” society with Christian family
structures, white women were needed in greater numbers. The
chance for equal legal and political rights could attract women to
make the move west. In addition, in order to transform these
"By the time the United States
entered World War I, all states west
of the Mississippi allowed women the
right to vote. In the east, the process
was slower.
territories from the “Wild West” scenes of gun-slinging and saloon
brawling, the women’s vote would move society to a higher plane of
morality. To the West, women relocated, attracted by the increased
opportunities which might ensue.
Our program was designed not only to discuss these issues, but
also to experience some of the physical conditions that faced the
early settlers of the Great Plains. The first three days were spent in
classes at the University. The next three days we toured historical
sites by bus. Places we visited included a restored 1870s mining
town, a gold milling operation, and many scenic vistas in the Wind
River Mountains, the Great Divide Basin, and along the Oregon
Trail, where one can walk in the ruts made by the westward moving
“Prairie Schooners.” The most notable natural physical features were
the paucity of trees on the wide open grasslands, the frequent
sightings of small herds of antelope, and the constant pressure of the
persistent winds. Wind turbines, in large clusters, are seen often,
although they provide only a tiny portion of the state’s energy needs,
as a result of the shortage of transmission lines. Wyoming’s
temperatures vary greatly. Our time there was quite cool. One
afternoon, while we were “panning for gold” in a light wind driven
rain, we were informed that it was 38 degrees with the wind-chill
factor. The week before, they had temperatures in the 90s every day.
The final destination was the capital, Cheyenne. With 77,000
inhabitants, it is the largest city in
the state with the smallest
population, fewer than one-half
million. There we toured the
state capitol building and the
state historical museum.
Transportation to and from the
area was via Denver
International Airport, located
about a 2.5 hour drive from
Laramie.
Each summer, the NEH
makes more than 20 such workshops available. I have now, since
2004, participated in four of these “Landmarks” programs. The
others dealt with the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, the
Cherokee Trail of Tears in Oklahoma, and Silver Mining in Idaho.
All of the workshops have been excellent – characterized by devoted
university and staff, friendly, intelligent, and motivated secondary
school teachers, and well structured, yet long and busy, days. These
are whirlwind tours of the historical topics at hand. I highly
recommend the Landmarks workshops to any teacher of U.S.
History.
Finally, I wish to thank all those who work to raise money for the
St. Sebastian’s Faculty Professional Development Fund. Through this
source of financial support, St. Sebastian’s School has provided me
with the transportation costs associated with all four of these
wonderful summer experiences in which I have been privileged to
participate. ■
WWW.STSEBASTIANSSCHOOL.ORG | 43