American pioneers, wereEuropean Americans,[1]African Americans,[2]Hispanic/Latino Americans,[3] andAsian Americans,[4] who settled theWestern United States. The majority of the European-American and African-American settlers hadmarched west from the BritishThirteen Colonies and later theUnited States of America, to settle and develop areas of the nation within the continent ofNorth America. Others migrated north from Latin America and east from Asia.[5][6]
The pioneer concept and ethos greatly predate the settlement of the Western United States, with which they are commonly associated, and many places now considered "East" were settled by pioneers from even further east. For example,Daniel Boone, a key figure in U.S. history, settled inKentucky, when that "Dark and Bloody Ground" was still undeveloped.
One important development in the Western settlement were theHomestead Acts, which provided formal legislation for settlers which regulated the settlement process with little to no concern for the existing inhabitants of the land.[7] Pioneers also settled on land that was once inhabited byAmerican Indian tribes.[8]
The word "pioneer" originates with the Middle Frenchpionnier (originally, afoot soldier, or soldier involved in diggingtrenches), from the same root aspeon orpawn.[9] In theEnglish language, the term independently evolved a sense of being aninnovator ortrailblazer.[9] As early as 1664,EnglishmanJohn Evelyn used the term with a self-effacing "workman" meaning when he wrote in his treatise on planting,Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees: "I speak now in relation to the Royal Society, not my self, who am but a Servant of it only and a Pioneer in the Works".[10]
Various figures in American folklore and literature typify the pioneer.James Fenimore Cooper'sThe Deerslayer (1841) became the most successful of his early series, theLeatherstocking Tales, about pioneer life in theProvince of New York.Laura Ingalls Wilder'sLittle House on the Prairie series, published a century later from 1932 to 1943 but set sixty years prior, typified later depictions of pioneer families.Daniel Boone (1734–1820) andDavy Crockett (1786–1836) became two real-life icons of pioneer history.
The firstwestward migrations occurred as members of theThirteen Colonies sought to expand their respective colonies westward. Those whose originalroyal charters did not specify a western limit simply extended their lands westward indefinitely.
After theUnited States was officially formed upon the ratification of theU.S. Constitution, federal coordination and legislation began to give settlement a more unified approach.
TheLand Ordinance of 1785 was the first official action by the federal government in deciding how political organization of new territories would be handled. Then in 1787 theNorthwest Ordinance declared that states could not individually claim new lands, and that westward expansion would be handled by the federal government. In implementing theLand Act of 1804, the government took its first steps towards legislating the manner in which land would be individually claimed by and distributed to settlers.
One federal effort to encourage western travel and settlement was the publication ofThe Prairie Traveler in 1859, three years before the Homestead Act was passed.Randolph B. Marcy, Captain of the U.S. Army, was commissioned by the War Department to provide a guide for those moving west. It provided not only mileage and stopping points during travel, but also gave advice about what to take on the journey, how to interact with Native Americans and also how to respond to threatening situations such as encounters with bears.[11][12]
There were many other forms of this process, such asland runs including theLand Run of 1889, when parts of the territory ofOklahoma were first made available to settlers on a first-come, first-serve basis.
As western settlement grew, certain trends began to emerge. Most pioneers traveled inwagon trains with their families and other settlers, banding together for defense and to spread the workload.
Pioneers in the East often had to clear the land, owing to lush forests there. In the Midwest, the task was to bring agricultural fertility to theGreat Plains.[clarification needed]
Some pioneers moved westward with the intent of claiming land for their families. Others, such astrappers, moved west for commercial reasons, and then remained there when their businesses proved to be profitable.
The figure of the pioneer has historically played a role inAmerican culture,literature andfolklore. The pioneer is similar to other iconic figures involved in stories of the "settlement of the West," such as thecowboy, trapper, prospector, and miner; however, the pioneer is distinct in that he represents those who went into unexplored territory in search of a new life, looking to establish permanent settlement.[citation needed]
Various figures in American folklore and literature typify the pioneer.The Deerslayer was the most successful of an early series, theLeatherstocking Tales, about pioneer life in New York.Little House on the Prairie, a century later, typified a later series of novels describing a pioneer family.Daniel Boone andDavy Crockett are two real-life icons of pioneer history.[citation needed]
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