Sarah Seele’s Reviews > The American Fur Trade of the Far West, Volume 1 > Status Update

oh did you know “the negroes” were CONTENTED in slavery??? they were ignorant and unaware that life could be any better, you see

we were doing SO WELL with the (lack of) racism, should have known we were past due for a reference to the thieving tendencies of all native americans, just all of them, don’t worry they can’t help it, it’s a ““racial failing””

Jedediah Strong Smith sounds like an awesome guy. 10/10 would travel back in time to meet him. (also. What a name)

Very interesting. Not the first source to comment on how our image of the “lawless wild west” is actually pretty inaccurate, and crime and opportunism weren’t really more common than in any part of the country, even without lawyers or lawmen present. (I’m enjoying this a lot but MAN I could do without the racism.)

...aaaand there's the racism. of course. how we do love our early progressives with their nigh-suffocating reserves of racism.. /s