The United States of Optimism

摘要

The late 1830s and early '40s were a bad time in Missouri and most everyplace else in the U.S. People were broke and in debt after a boom in land speculation along the routes of new canals and railroads. In the bust that followed-what became known as the Panic of 1837-banks failed or cut off credit. One Missourian, a 36-year-old storekeeperrnand self- educated lawyer with a sick wife (a malaria epidemic had swept the Midwest) announced on a day in 1843 that he wanted to start over in the Oregon Territory: "I am done with this country," he said. "Winters it's frost and snow to freeze a body; summers the overflow from the Old Muddy drowns half my acres. Taxes take thernyield of them that's left. What say, Maw? It's God's country."rnEasier said than done. Outfitting a covered wagon to hit the Oregon Trail and buying a team of oxen cost $1,500 - a lot of money. Like many of his neighbors, our shopkeeper went to his creditors, and they were many.