Wilderness June 9, 2010

Western migration has been traditionally viewed as a preordained, inevitable expansion by eastern settlers into the vacant wilderness of America. For the early pilgrims and pioneers, believing they had a covenant with God to tame and cultivate wild America, it was crucial to see the West as wilderness. However, the settlers' pristine wilderness was neither wild nor empty to the millions of Native peoples. This "wilderness" was their home; it held profound ritual and cultural value. Artists have played significant roles in perpetuating the myth of the untamed wilderness. Early romantic depictions of majestic terrain, exotic inhabitants, and wild animals strongly influenced perceptions of the American West as a destination for adventure.