“Children of the Wild West,” by Russell Freedman.
Scholastic Incorporated, New York, 1983, 104 pages, Grades 4-6.
The settling of the United States has always been a subject of fascination and controversy. Surging immigrant groups frequently settled on Native American land. Frequently, the new immigrants were escaping desperate situations in Europe and Asia. The Irish, for example, fled Ireland because of a brutal famine. They needed land to survive. The Native Americans required the same land to thrive. This leads to an inevitable conflict between the two groups.
With passage of the Homestead Act of 1862, massive immigration to the American West became a reality. The American government forced Native Americans onto reservations, and settlers began the difficult task of transforming a harsh environment.
Russell Freedman, preeminent biographer of children’s literature, has written a fascinating story about the lives of children during this transformation. The title of this well-written, interesting book is “Children of the Wild West.”
A wagon train leaves a frontier town in western Missouri. The people have heard that there is a rich land named Oregon. It is over 2,000 miles from the Missouri River, due to the difficult terrain.
A wagon boss starts the journey on the facetiously named Oregon Trail. In fact, the Trail is little more than two ruts across a brutal landscape. Sleek and sound at the beginning, many settlers soon are exhausted and sick.
Every so often, a photographer appears on the journey and takes photographs of the wagon train and the children playing in the camps. Their games are very similar to games played today.
Native American children also frequently appear in these photographs as well. Dressed in tribal clothes, these children often appear stoic. Later photographs show Native children in government schools. In these somewhat jarring photographs, the native dress is gone and they wear American clothes and have European haircuts. Freedman includes statements from tribal chiefs, detailing their loss of the older culture. These passages are true accounts of this painful time.
When the wagon train finally labors over the Rocky Mountains and arrives on the Pacific Coast, the settlers take up residence in Oregon and California. Now we see the appearance of schools, children living in mining camps and riding horses on ranches.
Life is definitely not easy for anyone. However, children still have a zest for life. In the early schoolhouses, little girls share their lunch pails and giggle at shared stories. The boys also attend schools and frequently struggle to conform to the discipline of sitting still and listening. Freedman includes endearing and joyful photos of these children as they open Christmas presents and play in school bands.
The common thread in all the communities is the care everyone has for everyone else. They are proud of their schools, churches and towns. The people go to community events and share their difficult lives with generosity. The author’s sensitive writing allows readers to see the world through the eyes of the most innocent, the children. It is a fascinating account.
Russell Freedman died several years ago. His collection of work is compelling and his writing has given readers some brilliant historical accounts of people and events. Among his masterpieces is “Lincoln: A Photo Biography.” Freedman introduces readers to historical subjects in an honest and caring manner. This book, one of his earlier works, demonstrates this. The photo and description of the children’s band on page 82 captured my heart.
This is vintage Freedman. I hope you get a chance to read this fine book about children growing up in the Wild West. It is an interesting story.
