From my interpretation the song refers to the period of time during the California gold rush wherein people hearing of the great fortunes being made in California packed up their belongings, sold their possessions and travelled west for California. The Gold Rush was actually somewhat of a disappoint. Yes there was gold but not a lot, in fact most of the money that was made at the time was made from the miners who came to California to strike it rich. The population of California swelled to several thousand and the economy boomed due to the influx of new businesses that catered to the miners. At this point in time the transcontinental railroad stretching from the Western United States to the Easter United States still wasnt built.
People had to travel the distance on horseback or on a wagon which was a dangerous journey due to the distance and the various unforeseen circumstances that could occur on the way. This can be seen in the song when it says follow the typical signs, the hand painted lines, down prairie roads. At the time the journey took nearly 6 months and cut through the western plains of the U.S. which is also mentioned in the song. It is also at this time that American Indians still were free and werent placed in conservations as they were after a few decades. The song specifically recalls the beauty of the American West at the time it also gives emphasis on the fact that it was the men who enjoyed the freedom of the American West as exemplified by this part of the song where a man could drift, in legendary myth, by roaming over spaces.
This is also proven by history since there are few if next to no accounts of successful pioneer women at the time. The women at this time still lacked the right of suffrage and had little if next to no rights, As such they were forced to stay at home and be homestead wives. This would result in them being in charge of the house and making sure that everything went well for their husbands when they returned. Now at the time of the California gold rush there was actually litle gold at the time and most people actually made money of off the miners who kept on coming into town to buy supplys with what little they were able to find. This would of course result in a household where there would be little to eat and bad sanitary conditions and little if next to no medical assistance. Women at the time may have died due to yellow fever or during child birth because of these conditions.
The song is trying to put emphasis on the fact that these women were the unsung heroes of this time, making sure that everything was ready for their husband upon his return and they took care of the children as well. At the time since women were completely dependent upon their husbands as a source of income. Should their husband die due to an inadvertent mine collapse they would lose their only source of income and would be forced to beg as shown by the line in the song her eastern sisters they would moan as they would read accounts of madness, childbirth, loneliness and grief.
Overall the song is trying to show that women at the time were underappreciated, were not given the rights they deserved and were abused. This can also be accounted for in historical fact and it is only within the past couple of decades that women have been able to reach the same position as men career wise. From what I see as my own personal opinion that creator of the song is trying to show people that women at the time played an important part in American history. It is sad to say that numerous people who made the journey died on the way due to the distance involved not only that but when they got there they were in stiff competition with the numerous other miners who came looking for wealth. Times were tough and money brought over to last till they got rich quickly vanished.
As such though it isnt stated in particular the gold rush also created a rush of deaths. At the time many women who lost their husband also started working for textile factories that sprang up. It was at this point that factory owners saw a cheap labor force that can be exploited, the wives of the miners. A vast period of industrial expansion occurred however as a result over production occurred and the companies had to cut wages. This angered the women and caused one of the very first womens liberations movements at the time.
People had to travel the distance on horseback or on a wagon which was a dangerous journey due to the distance and the various unforeseen circumstances that could occur on the way. This can be seen in the song when it says follow the typical signs, the hand painted lines, down prairie roads. At the time the journey took nearly 6 months and cut through the western plains of the U.S. which is also mentioned in the song. It is also at this time that American Indians still were free and werent placed in conservations as they were after a few decades. The song specifically recalls the beauty of the American West at the time it also gives emphasis on the fact that it was the men who enjoyed the freedom of the American West as exemplified by this part of the song where a man could drift, in legendary myth, by roaming over spaces.
This is also proven by history since there are few if next to no accounts of successful pioneer women at the time. The women at this time still lacked the right of suffrage and had little if next to no rights, As such they were forced to stay at home and be homestead wives. This would result in them being in charge of the house and making sure that everything went well for their husbands when they returned. Now at the time of the California gold rush there was actually litle gold at the time and most people actually made money of off the miners who kept on coming into town to buy supplys with what little they were able to find. This would of course result in a household where there would be little to eat and bad sanitary conditions and little if next to no medical assistance. Women at the time may have died due to yellow fever or during child birth because of these conditions.
The song is trying to put emphasis on the fact that these women were the unsung heroes of this time, making sure that everything was ready for their husband upon his return and they took care of the children as well. At the time since women were completely dependent upon their husbands as a source of income. Should their husband die due to an inadvertent mine collapse they would lose their only source of income and would be forced to beg as shown by the line in the song her eastern sisters they would moan as they would read accounts of madness, childbirth, loneliness and grief.
Overall the song is trying to show that women at the time were underappreciated, were not given the rights they deserved and were abused. This can also be accounted for in historical fact and it is only within the past couple of decades that women have been able to reach the same position as men career wise. From what I see as my own personal opinion that creator of the song is trying to show people that women at the time played an important part in American history. It is sad to say that numerous people who made the journey died on the way due to the distance involved not only that but when they got there they were in stiff competition with the numerous other miners who came looking for wealth. Times were tough and money brought over to last till they got rich quickly vanished.
As such though it isnt stated in particular the gold rush also created a rush of deaths. At the time many women who lost their husband also started working for textile factories that sprang up. It was at this point that factory owners saw a cheap labor force that can be exploited, the wives of the miners. A vast period of industrial expansion occurred however as a result over production occurred and the companies had to cut wages. This angered the women and caused one of the very first womens liberations movements at the time.
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