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Summary Of Down The Santa Fe Trail

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Writing Assignment #4 Book Review: Susan Magoffin, Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico Susan Magoffin’s diary is a primary document that accounts her experiences traveling along the on the Santa Fe Trail (the Trail). Magoffin, being the first female to travel this trading route, was able to give a true insight to readers of how the conditions of that trail were. Her diary is regarded as the first substantial account of life on the Trail, however is criticized that Magoffin’s white privilege is what made her experience as it was. The critics argue, that the experience of traveling along the Santa Fe Trail as a non-Euro-American, would differ drastically then that of Susan Magoffin. I agree that being an upper-class, white woman, Magoffin …show more content…

Magoffin was like any young adult; she was very curious and quite observant of her surroundings. She was highly sociable and enjoyed meeting new people she met along the Trail. Even though she was the first white woman to make this type of journey, she was surrounded by very knowledgeable people: her husband and his brother James; both men were familiar with the Trail from their trading work. Her brother-in-law gave her an excellent example of how to interact with the Mexicans. He intermarried with a native Mexican woman named Dona Maria. This intermarrying came with a mix of culture, and Magoffin benefited most from being able to be immersed in Americans who respected the Mexican culture, and who also adopted the Spanish language, thoughts, dress, and diet. In this unique, multicultural environment she was able to confidently assume that Americans had a great capacity to be open-minded and, at times, ethnocentric. Places like Ben’s Fort, gave solace to these tolerant types of people and those who embraced other cultures, because it was so far removed from the eyes of the judgmental East. During the times her husband worked, Magoffin was free to be able to account all the experiences and culture she encountered by diligently writing in her diary every

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