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The move to America
Hola, my name is Ron Martinez. I have decided to move up north to America because of the great job opportunities I see that will make me and my family richer. As for now, I am jobless and extreamly poor. -
The Hard Journey
This 100 mile trip is making my feet tremendously sore. Since we only own one horse, me, my sister, and father trade off every hour riding it. There are many other settlers moving along with us. Some immigrants alike, get so greedy and desperate to cross the border, they shoot inocent people for money and land. -
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Timeline
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Work
Today we finally arrived in America and stayed at a hotel in Santa Fe. My dad and I got hired in the burgeoning railroad industry when it first opened for Mexicans as a result of the Chinese excusion act which limits Chinese immigration to America. Also, my sister started working at a sewing factory. I have faith in this new American life to bring us great pleasures. -
The Hard Life
For a long time we were very wealthy. After the railroad business let us go when the job was done, we grew very poor. I and my father can’t find a new job, so inturn, we have to rely on the little money my sister is making at the sewing factory. -
We're Moving West!
We can’t live off of my sister’s money of five cents per hour. Since we couldn't pay rent, the hotel kicked us out. As I was reading Sunday’s paper, I say that there was newfound farming land in the west. This land could be the only thing to save us. -
The Homestead Act
The homestead act offers 160 acres of FREE land to anyone who agrees to live on and improve it for five years. Because of this, we are now moving to the west! -
The Trip
We bought one more horse with the last of our money as a result of selling most of our clothing. We rode to the Nebraska land for months and miles until I thought we had walked all the way around the world. But soon enough, we finally made it. -
Claimed Land
We claimed 160 acres of land in Nebraska and I and my father got a temporary job at a local saw mill. After we earned enough money, we built a nice sturdy house with free wood that we cut on the job. Then, we planted potatoes and wheat. -
Farming
As the months went on, we met more and more people coming in after us and starting farms. Inturn, too many people sold their crops, causing the prices to go down and making us almost as poor as we were from the beginning. -
Conclusion
We continue to be poor year after year as prices stay down for crops. But, we're going to be alright because the great adventure of coming to America was all worth it.
