Go West!
Many people were motivated to try their hand at migrating Westward before, during and after the Civil War. There were Native Americans who were forced from their land, pioneers who sought a better life and cheap land in the areas west of the Mississippi River, gold-diggers who rushed to California to become rich on the newly discovered gold deposits, recent immigrants who found work building our nation's railroads and Mormons who sought religious freedom in Utah. Women had different experiences than men. Black Americans had different experiences from white Americans. Everyone who moved west experienced the challenges of settling into new land without the comforts of home.
It was these experiences that really gave America the reputation for being full of rugged, tough men and women.
Your parameters for time are between 1835-1900. If you find good information that you're not sure if you should include you can ask.
Pick one from part A and you must include B.
Research -
1. Your job will be to find information about Westward Expansion - I've provided links for you. If you decide to use other links they should be cited properly using MLA on a separate page/slide. You will then produce a couple of things outlined below. You
You will:
a. Find primary sources (documents written by someone who was there) as well as secondary sources (information written about an event or person who was not there)
b. Find maps that show routes taken by people/or railroads in your group
c. Take notes. These are the questions you should answer in some way in your project
1) Where did you move to or Where were you moving to, and why?
2) Did you hope that your life was going to be better in your new home? How? Explain.
3) Did you face difficulties in your move or in your new home? Describe
4) What did you think about the American Government? WHY?
5) How did you as a group effect Americans today? What have we learned from your accomplishments/failures/legacy in 2014/modern day?
Part A - each project should clearly incorporate the information from above.
1. Song (No more than 5 minutes) - your own tune or a famous tune that you write words for telling the story of your group. You will perform it for the class.
2. Children's Book - create a Children's story based off of your group - add a moral (like a fable) if you're feeling super creative. Should be at least 10 pages. Color and pictures.
3. Comic Strip - should have at least 6 panels, be in full color, no stick figures.
4. Boardgames - create a game reviewing important concepts/events/etc... You can also choose to add more than one group.
5. Skits (No more than 5 minutes): create a short skit to bring your historical event to life. Should attempt costumes, props, etc...
6. Film Skit (No more than 5 minutes): same as above but you can film it and show it in class. Must make sure your video is compatible w/ in-class technology.
7. Myths: write creation myths to account for historic events.
8. Pen-pals: write letters to and from people from history or the characters in a story. Ask Mr. Havner for your plans on this. Must be certain number of correspondence and length depending on your ideas.
Part B- Some type of quick presentation. Go over the highlights. Can be a Powerpoint, Prezi, or something else.
You will present - no more than 5 minutes
PowerPoint/Prezi w/ Quiz - must be in depth and also have a 5-10 question multiple choice quiz and answer sheet with well thought out questions that you will give the class reviewing important vocab/events/people/etc.
Western Settlers (must include 5 terms)
Donner Party
Homestead Act 1862
Great Plains
Oklahoma Land Rush
Morrill Land Grant Act
Stephen Long (1819) called it the ? and it was unfit for ?
dry farming
buffalo
sodbusters
Wheat Belt
Natives (must include all terms)
Annuities
Fetterman's Massacre
Sand Creek Massacre
Chief Little Crow
Indian Peace Commission 1867
Battle of Little Bighorn
George A. Custer (in relation to the Indians after the Civil War)
Assimilate
Laramie Treaty
Dawes Act
Allotments
Gold Rush/Minerals (must include all terms)
49ers
Henry Comstock
Comstock Lode
Railroads (must include at least 5 terms)
Gadsden Purchase
Transcontinental R.R.
Pacific R.R. Act
Grenville Dodge
Union Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
Leland Stanford
Time Zones - American Railway Association
Promontory Point, Utah
Federal Land Grants
The Great Northern Railroad
James J. Hill
Immigrants (Irish, Chinese, etc) (Depending on which group you are you must include terms related to that group) - workers on the Railroad
Ellis Island (European immigration)
Angel Island (Chinese and Japanese immigration)
Push & Pull factors in relation to immigration in the late 19th century
Nativism
Taiping Rebellion (why it caused Asian immigration to USA)
Chinese Exclusion Act
American Protective Association
Workingman's Party of California
A good generic Resource
Account of Mary Reed Donner, traveling to California
Mountain Men, Fur Trappers
Library of Western Fur Trade Historical Source Documents: Diaries, Narratives, and Letters of the Mountain Men
Gold Rush Stories - Women
Memoirs of a woman '49er
Gold Rush
Women in the "Wild West"
John Sutter, Gold Rusher and his accounts
Intro To Transcontinental Railroad
Click Around for info Railroads
The Iron Road : Railroads
Women in the West: Click On "Making it Their Own" in tabs to the right in the link
Disappearing Lands - Watch This Video - Natives Group
Great Sioux Reservation
Dakota Uprising
The Sioux Uprising
Sioux Treaty
Sand Creek Massacre - Primary source Links -
Battle of Little Bighorn
Eyewitness To History: Little Bighorn
African Americans on the Frontier
Cathay Williams - some primary sources - female buffalo soldier
On the Western Frontier - African Americans
Angel Island
Chinese Exclusion Act
Great link about Chinese Immigration w/ Primary Sources
Chinese Immigration
Chinese Immigration Legislation
Chinatown
Chinese and Railroads
Chinese and the Gold Rush
Ellis Island
Irish Potato Famine
Irish & German Immigration
The Irish in Americas
Destination America: Immigration groups
