Mythologized 'Maiden's Graves' Obscured Harsh Realities of Westward Expansion
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In the 19th century, "maiden's graves" of young women killed along the Overland Trail became romanticized symbols of national sacrifice and expansion.
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Tales of eternal devotion to dead fiancées fueled ideals of female purity, death, and celibate male loneliness.
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The mythologized story of Lucinda Duncan's "maiden's grave" obscured her real identity as a middle-aged grandmother.
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Railroad workers and settlers perpetuated the fictional tale of Duncan's youth and innocence to serve expansionist ends.
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Hope in AI companions as a solution to loneliness today echoes past frontier fantasies that distracted from colonial violence.