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Immigration and Wesward Expansion
An immigrant character moving to America and then the West. -
Hearing and Wanting to go to America:
I am Svetlana Svensson from Sweden. I was born on March 15, 1840, so I am now 23 years old. There are many times when I want to go to America. Some reasons are that there is a great amount of land and that there is freedom. Here in Sweden, there is not much land to purchase and you are not treated fairly. The people that are treated better are the rich. My dream is to own and run a farm in America where land is free. Right now I have to work to earn enough money, but I will make it to America. -
Going to America:
Finally, I am ready to move to America. Because of the little jobs and income in Sweden compared to America, there are many reasons for me to move from Sweden. I would struggle to make enough money to live my life the way I want it. Worst case scenario, I would end up not getting a job and have to make up a way to get money. With actually getting a job and working hard for several months, I can finally get to America. I am excited and ready for my new life to begin. -
Ellis Island:
When I reached Ellis Island, I did not know what to expect. There were over one hundred people waiting for a trip to America. I had made sure that I had made enough money to buy the best ticket, because then I would hopefully get to America with less questions asked. When I was asked if anyone was waiting for me in America, I knew to lie and say yes. To my disbelief everyone believed me. About a week later, I was setting sail for America with about one hundred or more people. -
Making it in America:
After being in America for a short time now, I am glad to admit that I made the right choice of moving. From the many availiable jobs in America, there have been many opportunities for me. I got a job the second I could which led to me making good money, which is four dollars a week. It was sad to hear that the only free land is in the West, but I will not give up my dream. If I keep working, eventually I will get my land. -
Going West:
It is time to head out west now. I have finally made enough money to pay for a wagon and horses to head for my dream land. After hearing about the new growths in the West and making/saving money, I can have a future. I went through many jobs and bought each item for the West seperately. Slowly, but surely I am heading West and I have made money. My dream is getting closer and closer to my grasp. The free land is the only thing pulling me from my old home in America. -
The Land Race:
After ariving in the West, I learned all about the land. It still seems unfair that you have to race for land and mark it before anyone else does. Thanks to the Homestead Act, people can get land though. Only one of my horses was fast enough to race and I chose her. She is named Svarey after my mother. We knew that everything depended on the race, so we went all out for it. From luck, I managed to find a secret path and get land! I have the Homestead Act to thank for my dream becoming reality. -
Marriage:
After four months of running and managing my farm, there has been little profit. It seems that the men in America do not respect women very much. A friend that I met during my first month on the land helped me out a little. His name is Karl Kreg. We got along well because both of our attitudes were similar. He helped and taught me the things I didn't know about farming. Now, three months later we are married happily. We have the best running farm in the West. Finally, my dream is complete.
