Gold Rush Brides Essay

335 Words2 Pages

Natalie Merchant’s song “Gold Rush Brides” features a very powerful and illustrative story of women during the westward expansion, which is detailed in chapter 16 of Eric Foner’s book, Give Me Liberty. The song demonstrates the hardships and the impact that women during that period faced with their migration towards the west. Merchant starts the song off by describing the lengthy journey “down prairie roads” and expanding westward. Foner explains that the journey itself was sparked by the numerous farmers moving westward and the prospectors who struck it rich during the California gold rush. Millions of Americans moved westward hoping for a path to economic opportunity. Additionally, “the land was free and the price was right” was a result

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