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Lecture 9, "Wir Sehen Uns Nimmer Mehr," addressed immigration into the Great Plains. Immigration came in two waves. Land was available through the government for immigrants on the plains. Many hardships were felt by newcomers to both America and the Great Plains. Songs were written and culture brought along.
The first wave of immigration took place roughly between the years 1870 and 1880 with another wave following in the early 1900's. Different types of immigration took place. Some families would send a so called "scout" to scope things out and the family would than later follow. Some recruiting agents were sent to Europe and brought back groups of families.
Mixed emotions seemed to set in with excitement for a new start in new land, but there was also sorrow in leaving behind a learned way of life and friends. Some families struggled more than others. Some found sympathy in hanging onto items from their culture of the home country. Some Churches traveled as a group of immigrants onto the Great Plains. This brought some easing of pain by bringing their culture with them. The story of a lady whom had a chest full of items from her home country is quite interesting, and I think can show a great deal too how some people dealt with the hardship of learning a new way of life. The lady in the story treasured her chest; she would often look to it as comfort. One day a preacher came by and told the family a church service would be conducted and her chest was going to be the podium. I think that turned a new page in her book, and she began to see things differently.
Mixed feelings were also found in how to go about the change. Some felt it was important to totally break away from all ties with their past life in order to assimilate with life in their new place. I can see many different ways of looking at this. Perhaps Webb was completely wrong and the plains people were developed solely on their past experiences and views on how to start over new. I think the environment and the past cultures were the main points in describing the evolution of the people of the plains. However, I do think that those are two main points with many sub points, some with equal importance.