Valley of Virginia, 1850s

Valley of Virginia, 1850s. . , Becoming American , This form was originally built by descendants of German immigrants in Botetourt County, Virginia. The farm includes the log house built in the 1830s, numerous outbuildings, a grain and livestock barn, and a tobacco barn. The original part of the log house features characteristics of building traditions in England and Ireland, such as a rectangular floorplans, end chimney, and central front door., By the 1850s, the Valley of Virginia was more connected to the outside world than ever before. Turnpikes, canals, and railroads allowed farmers to get their produce to market cheaply and efficiently. Local sold mass-produced goods from far away. Books, newspapers, and magazines introduced new ideas, connecting Valley residents to a larger national culture., Slavery and Westward Expansion , Many African Americans experienced forced migration to new frontiers. Between 1810 and 1860 about one million enslaved people were sold away from the Upper South (Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland) and sent to the Deep South. This grueling journey often ended at a cotton or sugar plantation in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama. Others were taken away from slaveholders who were migrating to new homes. In both situations, African American men, women, and children were forever separated from their families.Legacy of the Virginia Frontier , Europeans, African Americans, and American Indians came into contact with each other on the frontier. Their encounters were often shaped by mistrust, discrimination, exploitation, violence, and racism. But the interactions between these cultures also inspired new perspectives and accommodation. The experiences on the Virginia frontier forged a new, distinctly American identity. Throughout history, cultures have always influenced each other. What makes the past and present American experience unique is the diversity of cultures which coexist in the United States. Two questions remain topics of heated debate: "What is American culture?" and "What does it mean to be an American?"