"It's Your Misfortune and None of My Own" Discussion Questions

1. What is the West? What are its boundaries? What are they according to Richard White?

2. What is the importance of the chapter "The Seeds of the West"? Do you think this is a good place to start the story of the American West? Can you think of any alternatives?

3. What are the European Empires that figure in the early history of the American West? What is the nature of their involvment in the region?

4. What are the changes that the American and Mexican Revolutions bring upon the West? Answer this question in detail.

5. What role do different Indian groups play in retarding and accelerating different European frontiers in the West?