The Other Side of Westward Expansion

According to a new book by Susan J. Matt, America didn't expand because of a bunch of pioneers who heard the call of the wild and headed West, but instead by a bunch of individuals that would be more at home singing Camp Granada and sobbing than extolling the virtues of Manifest Destiny.

This book, Homesickness: An American History, goes on to tell of how this theme of homesickness continued all the way up until very recently, and now there seems to be a return to the old sentiment as well. Here's an article I read today from Slate talking about these trends: Slate Article. This idea is interesting to think about in context to Helga as well last years theme of frontierism. Although homesickness when disembarking from home seems like it would be obvious, it doesn't seem like the fact that immigrants or pioneers are leaving their family and well established home to come to America or head west is really in the front of one's mind when they're reading the history books.

"Are we there yet?"