Letter By Jesse Looney Summary

In the letter written by Jesse Looney, “Letter by one of the immigrants of 1843”, he describes the scenery and the requirements to make this expedition possible for his brother-in-law, James Bond, and his family. Jesse Looney wrote this letter in 1843 in order to inform his brother on how he and his family should prepare for a long vigorous journey that awaits them to the “new country.” It’s important to note that during 1843 there was a lot movement going on from the east coast of the United States towards the newly settled west coast of the country. Nevertheless, the letter thoroughly instructs his brother in law to bring certain items such as, American cattle, clothing, and to bring as much food as possible. Looney does a great job in sort of convincing his brother in law in a sense to also go on the expedition himself. He describes the newly explored land as a “healthful country”, and states that he’s been the healthiest he has ever been since he moved into the new territory. According to this letter, you can infer that these settlers had to be well prepared and travel in groups in order to survive the geographical and environmental challenges they

Both authors have the same intentions, but William Porter specifically states that the letter was for his family and also for any family that is interested on going on the trail themselves. This letter was written in 1848, a couple of months after the California gold rush has started, which means that there was still a lot of settlers moving westward around this time period. Porter goes into great detail about what kind of wagon should be built, the different camping places and their conditions, and what kind of cattle and resources is needed for the intended