On page 386 the authors of the course textbook state that "nineteenth-century journals kept by hundreds of ordinary men and women traveling west on

On page 386 the authors of the course textbook state that "nineteenth-century journalskept by hundreds of ordinary men and women traveling west on the overland trailsconstitute a rich source for exploring the nature of the westward experience. They arealso an example of how private sources can be used to deepen our understanding of thepast. Diaries, journals, and letters all provide us with a personal perspective on majorhappenings. These sources tend to focus on the concrete, so they convey the texture ofdaily life in the nineteenth century, daily routines and amusements, clothing, habits, andinteractions with family and friends. They also provide evidence of the varied concerns,attitudes, and prejudices of the writers, thus providing a test of commonly acceptedgeneralizations about individual and group behavior." With that in mind, look at thejournal entries that appear on pages 386-387 and write a paper that explains what thesejournal entries reflect about the concerns, attitudes, prejudices, and/or everyday lives oftheir authors and the groups to which they belonged.