the book i’m reading: how the south won the civil war* has the premise that arose as part of the legacy of slavery.
government was everywhere: seizing territory from american indians and mexico, the formation of territories and states, laws that restricted who could own property, who could vote, who could testify in court - but it served white men, and especially white wealthy men - to pretend that the west was a level playing field.
just like today: anybody can make it, as long as they are born white, wealthy, and well. for everybody else, and especially the targets of societal racism, good luck
(* hat tip:
Heather Cox Richardson - #936 by Faffenreffer )
