Dreams Quote by Stephen E. Ambrose
““But it was all a pipe dream. As well try to stop an avalanche as to stop the moving frontier. American immigrants and emigrants wanted their share of land—free land—a farm in the family—the dream of European peasants for hundreds of years—the New World’s great gift to the old. Moving west with the tide were the hucksters, the lawyers, merchants, and other men on the make looking for the main chance, men who could manufacture a land warrant in the wink of an eye. This””
About This Quote
Source Historical: American Westward Expansion, 19th century, referenced in Stephen E. Ambrose works
The quote portrays westward migration as an unrealistic dream, likening it to trying to stop an avalanche, highlighting the relentless push of settlers and opportunists.
In simple terms: Westward expansion was seen as an impossible, relentless push for land.
Key Takeaway
Understand the myth versus reality of frontier promises.
Themes
expansion
myth
opportunity
settlement
economics
Mood
nostalgic
critical
historical
Type
explanatory
reflective
When to use this quote
- Historical education
- literary analysis
- policy discussions
- cultural reflections
Key Concepts
Manifest Destiny
frontier myth
economic migration
Questions to Reflect On
- What drove people to seek new lands?
- How did opportunists shape frontier narratives?
A Different Perspective
Oversimplifies diverse settler experiences and Indigenous impacts.
![“[Emigrants] will bring with them the principles of the governments they leave, imbibed in their early youth; or, if able to throw off, it will be in exchange for an unbounded licentiousness, passing, as is usual, from one extreme to another. It would be a miracle were they to stop precisely at the…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/451/thomas-jefferson-43_able_emigrants-will-bring-with-them-the-princ_1395724.jpg)
