Pioneer women who took the trails west and carved homes out of the wilderness often kept diaries or journals. In them, they recorded their everyday activities and their adventures. These diaries were often among the dearest possessions of the women who owned them. They are also some of the best primary sources that historians have and are used to reconstruct a picture of the lives of these women and their families. Furthermore, they hold great value for the ordinary Americans of today. This thesis will be examining how and why these diaries and journals hold such great significance
