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GCSE History · key term
A nineteenth-century name applied by white explorers and settlers to a broad area between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, expressing their belief that it was unsuitable for farming and settlement.
Used by AQA
Paper 1
Revise: Geography of North AmericaEarly white explorers and settlers used ‘Great American Desert’ for a broad area between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. Much of this was grassland, not a sandy desert. The name expressed an attitude: many believed the land could not support the settled farming communities they wanted to establish.
Distinguish the physical landscape from settlers’ attitudes: ‘Great American Desert’ was a judgement about the land’s usefulness, not proof that it was empty or entirely barren.
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