Was the Vietnam War Winnable - 1210 Words

Was the Vietnam War Winnable? The war in Vietnam waged by America was unwinnable through the type of warfare that was used by the US . If they had concentrated on certain key aspects they may have prevented the spread of communism to South Vietnam and achieved their ultimate goal. Americas inability to obtain the â€Å"Hearts and Minds â€Å"of the Vietnamese led to a continual supply of fighters. The US was unable to fight against an ever-increasing civilian army. In Vietnam the US relied tremendously on their advanced and superior firepower to defeat the Vietcong and the ARVN. There technology and training was inadequate in the foreign Vietnamese terrain. The Vietnamese were allied to other communist nations, if their defeat was too humiliating†¦show more content†¦The civilians retaliated by aiding the Viet Cong eventually joining them. This continued over the span of the war thereby creating an ever-increasing number of People fighting against the Americans. Americas inability to attain the â€Å"Hearts and Minds† of the Vietnamese population led to a constantly growing opposition ensuring that for every one â€Å"gook† the Americans killed there were always 2 more to replace him. No matter how many casualties USA inflicted on Vietnam the continuous supply of people would eventually beat the policy restricted US. ‘You can kill 10 of my men for everyone I kill of yours, but in the end I will win and you will lose†. American did not have the people of Vietnam backing them. To the Vietnamese they were intruders who murdered their families forcing the people of Vietnam to fight back. The Vietnamese’s refusal to cooperate with America prompted backlash from the solders. The Vietnamese’s responded with even more resistance to the US. This chain reaction fuelled the hatred the Vietnamese had for America. The USA was extremely vain when going to war in Vietnam. They had extreme firepower. With a few weeks notice at the time, had the power to turn Vietnam into a region of radioactive glass. The US’s strategy of search and destroy conflicted directly with the Vietnamese’s strategy of hanging onto their belts (caplan,2012). Unlike previous American victories againstShow MoreRelatedU.s. Failed During The Vietnam War987 Words   |  4 Pages This investigation seeks how the U.S. failed in the Vietnam War. The main body of this investigation outlines why the U.S. lost the winnable war, the causes for the U.S. defeat, and the differences between Vietcong and the Americans, which is one of the main reason why the U.S. failed in the Vietnam War. Two main sources used in this essay are When We Lost the Winnable War by Bruce Walker and The Vietnam War 1964-75 - The causes for the US defeat by Jyri Hintikka. Both of these sources of informationRead MoreRichard Nixon: Was He Truly Conservative? Essays1083 Words   |  5 Pagesclear that Richard Nixon was elected as a conservative. He promised themes of â€Å"law and order† (Lecture 24, November 14), pandered to what he called the â€Å"silent majority† (Silent Majority Speech, 1969) and promised to end the unpopular Vietnam War, a product itself of liberal policies and ideals. He offered a sharp contrast in rhetoric between the soaring â€Å"we can do it all† language perpetuated by Kennedy and Johnson (Lecture 25, November 19). But how truly conservative was â€Å"Tricky Dick’s† presidencyRead More The Myths of Vietnam Essay5554 Words   |  23 Pages Contending versions of the Vietnam War and the antiwar movement began to develop even before the war ended. The hawks version, then and now, holds that the war was winnable, but the press, micromanaging civilian game theorists in the Pentagon, and antiwar hippies lost it. . . . The doves version, contrarily, remains that the war was unwise and unwinnable no matter what strategy was employed or how much firepower was used. . . Both of these versions of the war and the antiwar movement as theyRead MoreThe Photo Of A South Vietnamese Police Chief Executing A Guerrilla Fighter1269 Words   |  6 Pagescopper to evacuated Vietnam. It is a zoomed in photo of a man punching another man in the face as they fight to get into the helicopter to leave Vietnam. This text also used propaganda from this time period, such as â€Å"Onward and Upward† a cartoon of Johnson’s hopes for a Great Society were constantly dragged down by the grim demands of the Vietnam War. (Page 935). Another propaganda drawing is â€Å"Who lost Vietnam†(page 963), which is addressing who is to blame for losing the Vietnam War. 2. Does the textbookRead MoreThe American Role During The Vietnam War Still Sparks Much Debate Today1390 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Vietnam War still sparks much debate today. There is a sharp focus on the Americans role in the Vietnam War because of the tragic end for the South Vietnamese. The United States faced much criticism world wide through literature during the war that continued after the war ended in 1975. The American governments reasoning for getting involved was to prevent the spread of communism in South Vietnam and to essentially prevent the domino effect. South Vietnam had no hope of winning a civil war againstRead MoreWhy Did The United States Lose The War Of Vietnam? Essay1545 Words   |  7 Pageslose the war in Vietnam? Could the US have won? Before the Vietnam War, the United States had never lost a war. The military of the United States had grown to be one of the largest in the world. The post WWII boom boosted America’s economy to be the largest in the world, occupying 38.6% of the world GDP in the 1960 . Yet with all of its military and economic might, the United States could not defeat an insurgency seeking control of a third world country. The United States didn’t lose the war on theRead MoreAmerican Public Opinion of the Vietnam War Essay1566 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Public Opinion of the Vietnam War At the beginning of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, in 1965, the American Public favored the idea of war because they feared the threat of communism. Polls conducted in 1965, showed 80 percent of the population agreed with President Johnson and were for the war (Rousseau 11). The U.S. got involved with the war to stop communism from spreading throughout South Asia. Americans were afraid if one country on South AsiaRead MoreSignificance of Cuban Missile Crisis1470 Words   |  6 PagesSignificance of Cuban Missile Crisis -This was an intense period where nuclear war could break out at any time. -A rash decision by any side could spark off war between the USSR and USA and in turn nuclear weapons might be deployed. -Fortunately, the leaders made rational decisions to resolve the crisis. -After the Cuban missile crisis, both sides realized the danger of nuclear war and began to talk more about peaceful co-existence. -A hotline was established bet the USSR amp; the USA toRead MoreHow America Lost the Vietnam War1691 Words   |  7 PagesWorld War II, decolonization around the world was taking place after their colonial rulers had been wasted off any feasible measure to retain them. At the same time, the communist superpower of the USSR began a campaign to set up a buffer zone, otherwise called satellite states, against their former allies and the North American Treaty Organization (NATO). An feeling of mutual antagonism between the two created a global stalemate, and the only measurable way to demonstrate their power was in smallRead MoreThe Vietnam War And The United States Of America1766 Words   |  8 PagesSecretary of State and Vietnam veteran John Kerry said it best when he stated â€Å"In our opinion and from our experience, there is nothing in South Vietnam which could happen that realistically threatens the United States of America† and â€Å"To attempt to justify the loss of o ne American life in Vietnam, Cambodia, or Laos†¦is to us the height of criminal hypocrisy which we feel has torn the country apart† (Goldstein). This statement stands true with many Americans as the Vietnam War was the most opposed and

The American Revolution Or Devolution - 1591 Words

Trinity Colter Mrs. Blau United States History 11 May 2017 Revolution or Devolution? The American Revolution was the rebellion of British colonists against England, however, the cost of liberty may very well have been far too high due to the economic crisis which ensued and the inadequacy of the newly formed government, although the freedom to worship as they pleased was gained yet not everyone even benefited from the Revolution. It was an enormous win for the American revolutionaries, as were the budding ideas of liberty and equality for all which would be the catalysts later on for many other movements regarding freedom, including the Civil Rights movement and the Women s Rights movement. The British did not grant the colonists†¦show more content†¦Although the newly independent Americans won their representation, their taxation also was negatively impacted. Farmers and civilians led by Daniel Shay protested against the state and local enforcers in attempt to put a stop on taxation of goods. Poor lower class people experienced struggle before the war and even worse after the war. While the wealthy upper class citizens were taxed as well, they still had their property so they were not as severely impacted as the poorer citizens. It was tremendously difficult for the newly founded government to bounce back from the colossal amounts of debt that needed to be paid. The government slowly but surely worked to improve and create a fair economic system that favored everyone, not just the wealthy upper class, though it proved strenuous. The new democratic republic formed from the Revolution was not very experienced in governing itself without aid from the British, other than during wartime, therefore the government was unable to make it s own effective legislation to maintain law and order. In 1776 the triumphant thirteen colonies voiced their newly founded democratic nation. The Americans fought in battle for almost two years before â€Å"July 4th, [when] the continental congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"American Revolution History† 2009). The Articles of Confederation can easily be seen as a failed attempt because legislation was notShow MoreRelatedFundamental of Constitutional History797 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Fundamentals of Constitutional History - Notes Refer to Table 1-1 of The American Democracy, and in 100 to 150 words, identify and explain America’s 3 core political ideals and the 3 rules of American politics. America’s 3 core political ideals are; Liberty, Equality and Self-government. Liberty – individuals should have the freedom to act and think the way they want, as long as it is within reason and it doesn’t interfere with the freedoms of others. Equality – all individuals shouldRead MorePrison Industrial Complex And Its Interrelationships1734 Words   |  7 Pagesfears, the rise of the prison industrial complex and the politics of surveillance and security are interrelated in different ways. The ways in which they are interrelated is caused by the overlapping nature of the American cities. In order to make the overlapping nature of the American cities to be effective, there should be an elaborated reinforcement system which is multi-layered. This system ensures that there is social control and it should take into consideration the political nature of theRead MorePolitics Essay1160 Words   |  5 Pagesconstitution is uncodified which is a unwritten document where as in the majority of countries there is a codified constitution which is a single document an example of this would be the American constitution, drafted around 200 years ago, which is written down on a piece of paper and lays down the rights of American c itizens and also the powers of her government. Another feature would be that the UK constitution derives from a number of sources one of them being statute law, law passed by governmentRead MoreCooperative Federalism Rests On Several Standard Operating Procures1259 Words   |  6 PagesAdministration State and local officials implement federal policies, but they have administrative powers of their own The u’s Department of Labor gives billions to states for job training, but state have considerable latitude in spending the money Devolution? Democrats support increase in federal government s power for advancement of national policies Republicans oppose these policies and favor states to take responsibility on issues like child labor, education and social security with Medicare RonaldRead MoreThe Evolution of Federalism and Housing Policy Essay1452 Words   |  6 Pagesresolution to these issues. This essay will examine this evolution of Federalism and discuss the significance of it, as it relates to the current state of intergovernmental relations for public agencies involved in housing. Structure of Federalism The American concept of federalism implies balance. Consequently, a system of checks and balances created by a division of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the national government was established to thwart a corruption of powerRead MoreDevolution of Local Government in the Philippines5838 Words   |  24 Pagesstrengthen people’s participation in the affairs of the government†[3]. Different forms of decentralization can be distinguished primarily in terms of the extent of authority transferred and the amount of autonomy. Decentralization may take the form of devolution and deconcentration. Deconcentration involves the â€Å"redistribution of administrative responsibilities only within the central government†[4]. It is not a transfer of power from the central government but merely to â€Å"delegate such powers and responsibilitiesRead MoreThe Advantages of a Codified Constitution Now Outweigh the Disadvantages852 Words   |  4 Pagesstruggle to find a resolution to their dogmatic laws. For example, the USA are still unable to introduce stricter gun laws because it opposes the constitutional right for citizens to bear arms, even though nowadays American citizens are less likely to require guns compared to when the American constitution was written in 1787. Recent events such as the Newtown shooting demonstrated the necessity for alterations. Whereas t he UK’s uncodified constitution benefits from its flexibility as it can easily adaptRead MoreEssay on Ap Gov Unit 1 Constitutional Underpinnings1628 Words   |  7 PagesConstitutional Structure of American Federalism 3 constitutional powers allow the federal system 2 expand the gov’s power 2 meet the needs of a modern nation in a global economy. * Expansion Rests on 4 pillars 1. National Supremacy Article 2. War power 3. Commerce clause 4. Power 2 tax/ spend 4 gen. welfare Interpreting Federalism * Mulloch vs. Maryland: under the Necessary And Proper Clause- the fed. Gov. has implied powers * The constitutional established supremacyRead MoreWhy The Scottish Referendum Was The Right Of The People?2346 Words   |  10 Pagesrule, now known as Scottish devolution, did not become a serious proposal until the late 1970s. A proposal for a devolved Scottish Assembly was put to a referendum in 1979. A narrow majority of votes were cast in favor of change, but this had no effect due to a requirement that the number voting Yes had to exceed 40% of the total electorate. No further constitutional reform was proposed until the Labor Party returned to power in 1997, when a second Scottish devolution referendum was held. HoweverRead MoreNew Issue Of New Federalism1682 Words   |  7 PagesWith this concept, many laws were made in order to enforce this New Federalism: the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 disallowed Congress from passing federal programs or services without consulting states on how they would be funded. The Devolution Revolution in 1994, a movement led by for mer House Representative, Newt Gingrich, and by republicans who desired to scale back the federal government though campaigning. Overall with this time period, including now, we see how Ronald Reagan wanted to

Analysis Of The Book The Catcher Of The Rye By Quot....

The Catcher in the Rye, a novel written by J.D. Salinger, follows the short journey in which a teenage boy is coming to terms with his encroaching adulthood. Holden, the main character, has been kicked out of a private school for the third time. In New York, he is on the verge of a mental breakdown. Holden is reluctant to act on the obvious solution of returning home and feels discombobulation towards the consequences he might have to face. He reflects on the death of his brother and struggles from loneliness because his brother was the only person he really had a connection with. He now has no one around his age to reach out to.Salinger illustrates through the struggles of Holden that the hardest part of growing up the whirl winds a†¦show more content†¦Again it can be seen when Bernice, the blonde, asks, â€Å"Hey- how old are you anyways† and Holden tells us that it annoyed him and then responds, â€Å"Oh, Chris. Don’t spoil it. I’m twelve, for ch rissake. I’m big for my age†.(94) From this, we can understand Holden yearning to be taken seriously as an adult, but his childish acts always get in the way of positive reactions from adult and ultimately his acceptance as an equal. In this search for his right of passage into adulthood,Holden is constantly trying to keep prove himself. Holden is 17 years old, and he is not really a child anymore and tries to gain validation from strangers and himself by drinking and smoking. In the early chapters of the book Holden acts immature, but as the journey progresses so does Holden. He comes to make rational decisions as his trip goes on as demonstrated by Salinger when Holden calls Sally and asks her out on a real date; it is considerably less callow than when he called Faith in the middle of the night in hopes of getting drinks and then having sex. Holden starts to learn and grow into his age. Notice that Holden only drinks in public and never in privacy. He looks to othe rs for recognition that he can take alcohol like a man. When he smokes in the room with Stradlater and

Poetry vs. Rap free essay sample

Rap and Poetry Poetry and rap have been around for many years and have been used to appeal to the senses of audience members of many different ages, races, cultures. Poetry and rap are similar in many unique ways. One may look upon poetry and rap as two different genres, however, rap can actually be classified as a form of modern day poetry. Rap often talks about different Ideas and subjects than most poems, however they hold similar formats to poetry and give a salary emotional response to the audience. Poetry Is a type literary work that conveys experiences, Ideas or emotions wrought meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices to evoke an emotional response. With the use of language, literary techniques such as meter, metaphor and rhyme a poet delivers his feelings and emotions. Poetry has a lot of freedom when It comes down to structure and style and every poet has their own style. We will write a custom essay sample on Poetry vs. Rap or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The poet has the ability to use whatever structure of lines, rhyme scheme, alliteration and they may change the wording certain words to FLT to their interest.Rap or hip hop music is a musical genre that became popular in the sasss that consists of a stylized Hitachi music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic speech that is chanted. Similar to poetry, rap is very unique and there are many artists with different styles. For example, Amines rap style is unique, it is usually very fast, violent and precise in its delivery. In contrast, Kenya Wests style is funny, catchy, and in some cases philosophical.In similarity, rappers have a lot of freedom when they rap a song and have the ability to change the wording, rhyme and sentence structure lust like how poets have freedom in the style and use of literary techniques. In edition to freedom in style they also share similar literary techniques such as rhyme, meter, and alliteration. In rap, rappers flow are based on the literary techniques, creativity and delivery to the audience.Also, in both rap and poetry there is an emotional response on the audience based on their content and meaning. By the use of certain words poets and rappers have the ability to negatively or positively effect an audience. Poetry and rap were originated in two completely different eras and cultures. However, they hold very similar aspects and should be viewed the same. Rap often talks about different ideas and subjects than most poems, however they hold similar formats to poetry and give a similar emotional response to the audience.

The Arrival free essay sample

The Arrival  is a migrant story expressed as a sequence of images that seem to come from a long forgotten time. A man leaves his wife and child in an impoverished town, in search of better prospects in an unfamiliar country on the other side of a vast ocean. He ultimately finds himself in a puzzling city of  foreign customs, unusual animals, curious floating objects and incomprehensible languages. With nothing more than a  suitcase  and a handful of money, the immigrant must find a place to live, food to eat and some kind of profitable employment. He is aided along the way by compassionate strangers, each with their own unspoken antiquity: stories of struggle and survival in a world of inconceivable passion, upheaval and hope. Tan’s drawings of people and animals encompass the relationship between individuals and their respective environments, their sense of ‘belonging’ to a place. Shaun Tan’s ‘The Arrival’ stands to convey the feelings of isolation, belonging (and the desire to belong), the long process of integration and establishing a sense of familiarity, security and friends. We will write a custom essay sample on The Arrival or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The story emphasises the isolation that is often experienced by many people arriving somewhere new and unfamiliar. Tan demonstrates the different aspects in which we may or may not belong to a particular group, be it a country, language or friendships. We begin to appreciate the optimistic features of belonging and the sense of self gained when this is possessed, as well as the segregation, uncertainty and insecurities we develop with its absence. The apparent reproduction of an old leather bound book is a structural feature of the text that is used to convey meaning to the envisioned audience through the intended familiarity it establishes. This initiates the reader into an experience that involves the past and things that are valued sentimentally, like books and photographs and memories, a technique which generates a feeling of colloquial normality that is easily recognised and easily linked with a sense of belonging. Other techniques aid this, including the black, white, grey and sepia tones throughout, as well as the reproduction of crinkled paper and creased edges. There are other techniques that Tan uses which emphasise the aspect of belonging by highlighting some of the adverse characteristics to belonging such as insecurity and uncertainty. Such a technique includes the absence of any writing. Even within the newspaper clippings, text is replaced with strange and outlandish symbols, enhancing the feeling of uncertainty further. In ‘The Arrival’, the absence of any written description also plants the reader more firmly in the shoes of an immigrant character. There is no guidance as to how the images might be interpreted, and we must ourselves search for meaning and seek familiarity in a world where such things are either scarce or concealed.

How to Write a Character Analysis Essay

How to Write a Character Analysis EssayStudents who want to increase their academic standing can use a sample of a character analysis essay. A character analysis essay is similar to the typical essay, but instead of using facts, it relies on analyzing a person through the lens of the plot. Writing this type of essay is sometimes called 'intellectual fiction.' A character analysis essay will help to increase your academic standing and might even be used as a part of a course or degree program.The first step to writing a character analysis essay is finding a sample of one you like. A character analysis essay works best when the writer is inspired by seeing something that he or she has not personally experienced. When the writer is inspired to write a character analysis essay, he or she should imagine what his or her character would be like during the story. This is an excellent way to know what the character would be like while they are in a fictional setting.Most people who write char acter analysis essays include a sample of a character that embodies the traits that they think will represent their character in the essay. For example, if a writer wants to write a character analysis essay about an evil character, he or she could use the words 'the nasty character'the person who is always the worst person in the world.' The more descriptive a sample of a character essay is, the better. If the writer is unsure of what he or she would describe as being the character's worst qualities, the sample of a character analysis essay will have to be short and concise.When writing a character analysis essay, the writer should look at what the reader expects to see when they read the story. For example, if the writer is writing a story about an evil character, the writer should look for characteristics that would make that character seem menacing. The writer should use both descriptive and simple language to describe the characteristics that make a villain.The writer should mak e sure that the reader knows what is at stake for the characters in the story. This is because the writer cannot please every reader. Readers of character analysis essays are like soccer fans; they are interested in the teams that the writer is writing about and what is happening to those teams, so they will take the time to look up information on these teams and read the blog posts or comments that people leave about those teams.Before writing a character analysis essay, the writer should learn what type of person they want to represent the story. They should also consider the issues that will affect the readers in their own lives. These issues could be about family, work, or any other issue. These things should be considered as a way to guide the writer towards understanding the character that he or she will be creating.After the writer finds a sample of a character analysis essay, he or she can begin writing. The first draft of the essay will need to be short and concise, because the writer has to make sure that he or she includes everything that he or she wants to say about the character. As the writer writes the essay, he or she will also need to keep in mind the tone of the story.The writer should not forget to consider the tone when writing a character analysis essay. The tone of the story, the overall plot, and even the feelings of the characters should all be considered when writing a character analysis essay. The tone of the story will determine whether or not the writer should include detailed descriptions of the villain's personal habits and activities. This is because these are how the reader will relate to the character.

American West an Example of the Topic Arts Essays by

American West In his painting, Against the Sunset, Frederick Remington plays on the stereotype of the American West as man against the environment, a lonely quest taken on by nothing more than a man and his horse. His painting depicts the lone rider against a setting sun, shown by the yellow to red wash beyond the horizon. The color choice of reds and yellows instead of traditional sky blues is meant to show the unrelenting heat of the West. Coupled with the foreground sagebrush, it depicts the harshness of the climate that was fit for neither man nor beast. Remingtons painting is itself a myth of the West, leading the viewer to assume that life in the West was a solitary pursuit. He shows the environment as much more harsh than it truly was, using blurring of the foreground to again imply extreme heat and dusty conditions. In this piece, as in mch of his work, Remington chooses to focus on the cowboy and imply that the West was a lonely place where men fought the elements by themselves. Nothing c ould be further from the truth. Need essay sample on "American West" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed College Students Frequently Tell EssayLab support: How much do I have to pay someone to write my assignment now? Essay writers propose: Get The Best Writing Essays Ever In Time Legitimate Essay Writing Services Websites That Hire Writers Written Essays For Sale Cheap Custom Writing Service In general, the American West was an environment best faced in groups. As Frederick Jackson Turner writes, the frontier was divided into isolated settlements, not a line of frontier towns as some might have thought. Unfortunately, Turner perpetuates the myth of the American West saying that the distance from the settlements to civilization forces people to adopt the ways of the natives and accept the trappings of the region as the best that is available, whether that be hide clothing or other trends adopted from the natives. (Turner, 201). Of course, the problem with this is that Turner is not very familiar with the region he writes about. He compares the adoption of native dress, using hides and furs, to the Iroquois and Cherokee, tribes not found in the region traditionally considered the American West. Like many Easterners of the time, he makes no differentiation between the Eastern native tribes and the Western native tribes, assuming that all are as civilized and generally peace ful as the Iroquois and Cherokee, though he fails to acknowledge that these tribes are civilized at all. Turner further argues that as the population centers moved further West, the West became more American, that is to say more likely to conform to eastern modes of dress and speech and behavior. He approximates that all the land west of Missouri is arid and hostile, failing to recognize the lush grasslands and fertile ground of the area that would become Americans bread basket. Instead, he likens the natives to savages, quoting others who have travelled there and using their observations to decry the way certain native tribes treat their children. As such, Turners value as a primary source of American history is somewhat lower. He certainly used the scholarly method available to him at the time, but his writings are wrought with judgments, both his own and from others, that evaluate the West based on the standards of European society or even eastern American society. Neither accurately evaluated the West, but they did contribute to the growing mythology that would become many a young b oys fantasy world for generations. The West was actually tamed by wagon trains full of settlers seeking a better life, just as the East Coast was settled by ships full of settlers, not single explorers coming to the New World. But the romantic notion of the West did not include wagon trains, or death from dyssentary or freezing in the mountain passes. Sure, the West had a reputation for being hard, but showing that through the deaths of men and women and children and animals due to the environmental conditions did not feed the dream. So, a dream had to be created, in many cases long after the reality had ceased to be. By the time Remington painted Against the Sunset, the West was being settled by train. It was still a foreboding decision to move West and try ones hand at mining or ranching, but the days of horse-back riding and man against nature and the natives was generally past. Still, the myth continued. To this day, those who have not visited the American West still expect to see men on horseback and buffalo roaming the prairies. The prairies have been turned into corporate farms and buffalo only seem to roam in South Dakota, or on bison farms, but Americans enjoy the myth. The idea that the land was somehow more wicked and harder to tame than other regions seems to invoke a national sense of pride over the institution of Manifest Destiny. And, as late as the 20th century, American artists like Remington were still feeding the myth. Remingotns work, unlike Turners western analysis, was at least fed by actual observations of the West. And, indeed, images like the one captured in Against the Sunset can still be observed in the right conditions, at the right location. For example, in the box canyons near the Rio Grande in southern Colorado, the climate and landscape can resemble what Remington depicted. Usually, the only use for horseback riding is for recreation, but even now, it would not be completely unheard of to see someone riding in the sage wearing a cowboy hat and boots, with the setting sun in the background. But it is not the lifestyle of the West or an everyday occurrence now anymore than it was in Remingtons day. The Myth of the American West is much more appealing than the reality. It is much more romantic to think of men as real men, carrying a gun and fightin the Injuns than to think of the back-breaking labor to hew out enough pine to build a cabin or to break up the prairie grasses enough to plant crops and rely on the weather to feed you the next winter. Americans want the war of westward expansion to be romantic and sexy instead of full of hard work, disease and death. After all, who wants to claim their ancestor died on wagon train headed west when he drank foul water? It is much more amazing and interesting to claim that he was scalped by Apaches while running mail for the Pony Express. Again, some of the myths of the American West have their basis in facts. Stagecoaches were occasionally robbed, though the bandits were rarely natives. Men did ride at full gallop between Pony Express stations on occasion to get the mail through. The western desert can be unrelenting in its heat and water is not always a plentiful commodity in the West. However, to claim that men rode horses at break-neck speed around the West while fighting Indians and shooting buffalo over their shoulder is just a myth created by artists like Remington and scholars like Turner. The reality is that the West was won via wagon train, railroad and the American calvary. Works Cited Remington, Frederick. Against the Sunset, 1906. Turner, Frederick Jackson. Frontier in American History. American History Association, Chicago, IL. 1893, pp. 199-215