Westward Ho! The Nation Expands West

Westward Ho!
The Nation
Expands West
Horace Greely (famous 19th Century
newspaper editor), when asked by a young
man what he should do with his life cried…
“Go west, young man”. Here in the 21st
Century, you a Revolution Student at the
Dallastown Area Middle School, are about to
answer the call and embark upon your own
personal journey west. Travel through time
and across this great country as you venture
into the wilderness to start a new life and
seek your fortune of “understanding”.
Introduction: Manifest Destiny
and Expansion
Manifest means “clear and obvious”. Destiny
means “something that is sure to happen”.
In the minds of the American people of the
early 1800’s, expansion was sure to happen.
Americans believed that it was God’s plan for
this nation to span the entire continent of
North America.
The United States, as the favored nation of
God, enjoyed the best form of organized
government ever created by man. Americans
accepted the unavoidable “obligation” of
spreading the idea of self-government to
people across the continent. For this reason,
the boundaries of the United States would be
extended, and the industrial and commercial
development of the nation would soar.
However, little consideration was given to
the inevitable changes that would occur in
the lives of the ordinary citizens of the
United States of America and even less
consideration was given to the Native
American people already living in these
western areas.
Activity 1
Select a picture of York or Dallastown in the
late 1800’s /early 1900’s. Visit the same
location today and/or discuss the location
and the changes that have occurred since the
pictures were taken…this discussion should
take place with your parents. In a paragraph,
describe the scene in the picture and what it
looks like today. Give three positive and
three negative aspects of people migrating to
this area.
For additional information about Manifest Destiny
go to the following resource:
Manifest Destiny
http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/prelude/ma
nifest_destiny_overview.html
Yes… the Indians were here first…
BUT…
WHAT EUROPEANS were here
FIRST?
The first people of European
decent settled in the American
West and Southwest
PURPLE- is the location of the
Spanish Colony of NEW SPAIN.
Northern New Spain will… in
time… be the South Western
Part of the United States.
Northern NEW SPAIN
…what we now call the southwestern
part of the United States
The current states of California, Arizona,
New Mexico and Texas made up most of what
used to be New Spain's northern frontier.
New Mexico was the oldest of these Spanish
settlements and was made up of smallscattered villages. The Spanish colonists
were greatly influenced by the Pueblo Indians
of this region.
Life in Spanish California was organized
around the mission system. The Spanish
built 21 missions in California throughout
the 17th and 18th centuries (1600 – 1700);
each mission was one day's travel from the
next allowing weary travelers a resting place
for the night. Missions contained a large
amount of land used for farming and
ranching. The missions supported
themselves through the selling of their
goods. Spanish colonists in California were
called Californios (cal-e-forn-e-ohs).
The mission system was also found in
Texas, however they were located far apart
from one another and the system was much
weaker than in California. There were also
fewer settlers in Texas because of fighting
with the local Indians. In order to attract
more settlers to Texas, the Spanish
government offered land grants to Americans
to settle in Texas (a future story in this unit).
The Spanish settlers in this area were known
as Tejanos (tay-han-ohs). They developed new
breeds of cattle (Texas Long Horns) creating a
cattle-ranching society on the grassy areas of
Texas.
In 1810 the citizens of “Mexico” revolted
against the Spanish rule. This uprising was
led by Father Miguel Hidalgoy Costella.
Costella was captured and executed by the
Spanish. However, under the leadership of
their new leader, Agustin do Iturbide (e-turbid), the rebels finally defeated the Spanish
in 1821 and gained their
independence...calling their new country,
The United States of Mexico… or simply…
Mexico. In 1824 the Mexican Congress
created a constitution making Mexico a
republic. At the time, Mexico included the
present day states of California, Nevada,
Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Activity
Read about Missions
Go to the sites listed below. Look over the
information provided under California
Missions, New Mexico Missions and Texas
Missions. Answer the questions on your
paper about the missions.
General Missions
Use this site for g
Homework Helper: Missions
http://library.thinkquest.org/3615
California Missions
Activity Sheet One
California Missions History – Question 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJImT
oF47xM
Listen to the whole presentation.
California Missions - Answer Question 2
&3
http://californiasmissions.org
/index.html
The El Camino Real that
connected the 21 missions of
California… today is known
as the Ventura Highway.
New
Mexico
Missions
Kino
Missions – Answer Question 4
http://www.nps.gov/tuma/historyculture/mi
ssions.htm
Texas Missions
Spanish Colonial Missions – Answer
Question 5
http://www.texasalmanac.com/topics/history/spanishmissions-texas
Story 1:
Texas…The Lone
Star Republic
A QUICK OVERVIEW & HISTORY OF
TEXAS…
In 1820 Moses Austin (an American) asked the
Spanish Government in Mexico for permission to
bring American families into Mexico’s northern
province… Texas. While waiting for the Spanish
Government’s reply to his request, Moses Austin
died and the Mexican revolution against the
Spanish ended successfully, thus making Mexico a
new and independent country.
Stephen Austin (Moses’ son) asked the new
Mexican government if he could have permission
to do what his father had wanted to do under the
Spanish…which was to bring Americans to
northern Mexico (Texas) to settle the land.
Permission was granted to Austin under three
conditions;
1> Americans had to become citizens of
Mexico,
2> Americans had to obey all Mexican
laws,
3> Americans had to worship God in a
Catholic Church.
In the late 1820’s to the early 1830’s, the
Americans who immigrated to Texas were blatantly
disregarding their promises to the Mexican
government. For example, they constantly brought
their slaves with them and built Protestant
Churches to worship God. This put a severe strain
on their relationship with their host government…
Mexico. This strain led to a revolution in which
the Texans, fighting to become a new and
independent nation, won. Sam Houston was
elected president of the new Republic of Texas.
This new Texas government asked the United
States to annex or take control of Texas. President
Andrew Jackson, not wanting to upset the balance
between free and slave states in America, agreed to
recognize Texas as an independent nation but
would not annex it. Texas was also recognized by
France and Great Britain. Mexico however refused
to agree that Texas was an independent nation.
The population of Texas in 1836 was about
52,700. To make this new nation strong, they
wanted to increase their population. In order to
attract settlers, the Texas government offered land
grants to other Americans. The population of
Texas increased by 100,000 between the years
1836 and 1845. Most of the immigrants came
from the United States primarily from the southern
slave holding states. Many slave owners were
attracted to the republic because it gave them a
chance to establish large plantations. By 1845
there were approximately 70,000 enslaved African
Americans in Texas.
Texas had its share of problems… not only
was Texas vast with settlements widely scattered,
but it also faced economic problems which forced
Texas President Houston to disband most of the
Texas army. As Mexico still considered Texas to be
its property, tensions remained high between these
two countries, thus requiring some sort of defense
for the Republic of Texas. Houston relied on the
militia as well as the Texas Rangers for this
defense.
Activity
Let’s go back to the beginning of the Texas
story when the Mexican Government
attempted to bring more people to its
northern most province… Texas. Design a
poster to attract the first American settlers
to Texas. You should include incentives
offered by the Mexican government and
reasons why people would want to settle in
Texas. You should also have a colorful
picture to represent Texas.
These web sites may help you with specific
information as to what the Austin’s were offering.
http://www.forttumbleweed.net/old300.h
tml
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articl
es/MM/ugm1.html -use the search feature to help
you.
Section 1(B): Texas Wins Its
Independence
The Texas War for Independence
When Mexico gained independence from
Spain in 1821, the new nation wanted to
attract more people. Empresarios or agents
were hired to bring settlers from other
countries to Mexico. As payment these
empresarios received land… up to 67,000
acres for every 200 families they would bring.
Stephen Austin was selected to lead settlers
into Texas with the idea that the Americans
would help develop the land and control
Indian attacks. The settlers agreed to
become citizens of Mexico, obey its laws (i.e.
would not bring their slaves and worship in
the Catholic Church). By 1835 more than
20,000 Americans had moved to Texas. These
new settlers often ignored Mexican laws.
Texan-Americans felt that they were not
fairly represented by the Mexican
government and wanted the Mexican
Constitution to be followed more strictly. In
1833 General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
was elected president of Mexico. He
suspended the Mexican Constitution in 1834.
Stephen Austin called for Texans to rebel
against Mexico. Find out more about the
Texas War for Independence by clicking on
the following site and read from "The
Independence of Mexico" through "Texas
Having Won Its Independence became a
Republic".
The Lone Star Junction
http://www.lsjunction.com
Click on Archives to read about:
People
Places
Documents
Events
After you have background information
about the Texas War for Independence,
go to the following site to read about the
Alamo
Remember the Alamo
http://www.lone-star.net/mall/texasinfo/alamobattle.htm
Activity Choice
Write a newspaper article
Write an article as it might have appeared in
a newspaper on March 6, 1836. Remember
all newspaper articles answer these essential
questions:
Who was involved in this event?
What happened? (Including events leading
up to this event)
When did this event occur?
Where did this occur?
Why did this occur?
Also include the outcome, which lead to the
forming of the new nation, The Lone Star
Republic. Remember your article must have
a headline that tells the main idea of the
article.
OR
Create a poster
Instead of writing a newspaper article about
the Battle of the Alamo you will tell the story
in picture form. You must have pictures with
captions to represent all the major elements
including:
Who was involved on each side a picture
representing the
Mexicans and Texan commanders
What happened including background
information.
When did this event occur?
Where did this occur?
Why did this happen?
Outcome that lead to the forming of the Lone
Star Republic
**** Map Activity on the Lone
Star
Republic**************************
******
Story 2: Oregon
and the Far West
The Trail Begins: The Fur Traders
In the early 1800’s a few solitary fur-trappers
followed Indian trails into Oregon. Read
about this hardy group of men at the
following sites. After you have learned about
them and the life they led complete the
activity listed below.
The Mountain Men: The Mountain Man
Rendezvous and Related Information
http://www.over-land.com/westpers3.html
The Oregon Trail: Discoverers and Explorers
(Click on Mountain Men)
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Discoverers.html
Mountain Men and the Fur Trade
http://www.xmission.com/~drudy/amm.html
Activity: You must play the computer
game, Oregon Trail. Following your
game session, you are to write a
paragraph about how successful you
were. You should also include a little
piece on what you liked and did not like
about the game.
BONUS Activity: If you would like to
ramp up your unit points you may
complete the following activity:
Create a “Help Wanted” advertisement from a
fur company that wants to recruit “mountain
men”. Describe in detail what characteristics
a mountain man should possess and the
duties they will need to perform. While you
may create a fictitious fur company (i.e.using your name), the requirements must be
factual based on the 1830-40’s.
The Missionary Spirit
Missionaries were the first white Americans
to build permanent homes in Oregon. The
hope of the missionaries was to convert the
Indians to Christianity. Marcus and Narcissa
Whitman were among the first missionaries
to set up a mission in the Oregon Territory.
Read about the Whitman’s in the sites listed
below, and then complete the activity.
Whitman Mission National Historic Site
http://www.nps.gov/whmi/index.htm
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Whitman.html
Northwest Missionaries
http://www.oregonpioneers.com/missions.htm
BONUS Activity: If you would like
to ramp up your unit points you may
complete the following activity:
From the Whitman’s and other missionaries’
point of view, they were trying to do
something good for the Indians by converting
them to Christianity. Think about what
happed to the Indians living in the area as a
result of the white man’s introduction to the
area. Create a graphic organizer from the
Indian’s point of view explaining why the
Indians attacked and killed the Whitman’s
and others. Use the information from the
sites listed above to help create your
document.
The Oregon Trail: the Pioneers
Move West
Word of rich farmlands in the Oregon
Territory spread throughout all of America.
Many people left their homes in the east to
pursue the “American Dream”… a better life
for themselves and their children. These
pioneers headed west on a trail that started
outside of Independence, Missouri. The
following sites will provide general
information about the Oregon Trail. Visit
these as you see fit to gain a greater
understanding of this exciting migration
west.
Web Sites for your reference.
The Oregon Trail All About the Trail
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Allabout.html
Oregon Trail the Trail West
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Sites.html
***ACTIVITY:Routes
West
packet***********
Story 3: More
Settlers head to
the mountains
Mormons Move West
Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints in the 1820's.
After being run out of many states due to
their “non-traditional” approach to religion,
members of this church, also known as the
Mormons, settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. Some of
their teachings angered non-Mormons in the
Christian faith. In 1844 the Mormons had
trouble with their neighbors in Illinois. An
angry mob attacked the Mormons, killing
Joseph Smith. Brigham Young was appointed
as their new leader. He had heard about a
valley between the Rocky Mountains and the
Great Salt Lake in Utah that sounded like a
great place to settle. Young decided that this
isolated valley would make a safe home for
the Mormons to live. In 1847 Young led an
advance party into the Salt Lake Valley,
forging the way for a great migration of
Mormons across the Mormon Trail.
Read information about the Mormon Trail on
the sites listed below and in your textbook
(Page 440) then complete the activity
The Mormon Pioneer Trail
http://www.nps.gov/mopi/
Mormon Winter Quarters in Omaha Nebraska
http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1
837-1-1-1,00.html
Tells background information about the Mormons and why
they settled in Salt Lake City
In addition to the site above you may want to
visit Mr. Wingard to understand why the
Mormons moved from New York, to Ohio, to
Illinois. This information can be used to
complete this assignment.
Activity
Write a letter
You have just completed the journey from
Nauvoo Illinois to Utah… the year is 1847.
Write a letter to a friend back home who is
about to make the same journey. To prepare
your friend for what lies ahead, write a
detailed account of what to expect. Your
letter must include the following:
*Reflection of why you left Nauvoo,
Illinois,
*a list of ten supplies you would
advise them to bring,
*hardships they may face along the
way,
*description of the winter quarters
* What it is like in Salt Lake City.
You may work with three other members
of the Revolution Team to write this letter.
Each counsel member should select a section
of the letter that they will write based on one
of the aforementioned requirements. Use the
sites listed below or the materials provided to
you by Mr. Wingard to complete this
assignment.
Story 4: The
Mexican War
President Polk, fully aware of the
consequences of his actions, sent General
Zachary Taylor to make a U.S. claim to the
land along the Rio Grande. This action
caused a brief but significant war with
Mexico. War with Mexico seemed
unavoidable from the time the United States
considered annexing Texas. Both countries
(United States and Mexico) had their
grievances. Mexico never accepted the
annexation of Texas with the U.S. Secondly,
Mexico was concerned that New Mexico and
California would follow the Texas example
and fight for independence. On the other
hand, the U.S. was angered by the recent
refusal by Mexico to sell New Mexico and
California. Without this purchase, the U. S.
idea of Manifest Destiny was threatened.
U.S. –Mexican War
http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/index_flash.html
*****Activity: War with Mexico
Map*****************
Story 5:
California and
the Southwest
The main route to California in the 1840’s
started with the Oregon Trail. In what is now
Idaho, the trail split. Settlers who wanted to
go to California took the southern route,
known as the California Trail. This route ran
through the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Settlers tried to cross the mountains before
the first snow of the season fell. In 1846 a
group of travelers set out from Springfield,
Illinois to find a better life in California.
They joined other immigrants and became
known as the Donner Party. The journey
started well, but bad luck and poor judgment
caused the party to fall behind arriving in the
Sierra Nevada Mountains after the first snow.
Eighty-seven emigrants became trapped (due
to heavy snow) and their food supplies were
dwindling. Some of those who survived did
so at an appalling cost.
Activity
View the video, “The Donner Party” and
complete the activity sheet associated
with this program.
Story 6: The
Gold Rush
With the discovery of gold in California in
1848, Americans caught “gold fever”. The
Gold Rush attracted people from all over the
world… forever changing the lives of Native
Americans and those who rushed to
California seeking their fortune.
Visit the following sites to find out how the
discovery of gold impacted the history and
expansion of our country.
Activity
Select ONE of the following activities. You
will be able to find information to complete
your activity choice by visiting the following
websites, looking at books in our library
about the California Gold Rush, or you can
check out the California story in your
textbook (pages 436-439).
Gold Rush! California’s Untold Stories
http://www.museumca.org/goldrush
California Gold Country Highway 49
Revisited
http://malakoff.com/goldcountry/history.htm
Women of the Gold Rush
http://www.goldrush.com/~joann/
Activity Choices
Do the Computer Simulation on the Gold
Rush.
Write a paragraph about your adventure.
You should include how successful you
were and what you learned during the
process.
OR
Draw a picture of one of the ways to get
to California during the Gold Rush
Your picture should include a caption
explaining your illustration including a list of
specific places that are a part of your
journey. You will also include a paragraph
explaining the journey, including one
hardship. You will find information needed to
complete this, by going to the site,
“California Gold Country Highway 49
Revisited and click on “The Way West” select
either, By Land or By Sea.
OR
Draw a picture of a gold miner.
Your picture should show the typical clothing
of a miner from head to toe… label each.
Also include equipment a miner would need
to find and extract gold. Write a paragraph
explaining the clothing and equipment.
Library books would provide information
needed to complete this assignment.
OR
Create an illustration of a mining town.
Include all of the buildings you would expect
to see in a typical mining town label each
building. Also write a paragraph describing
the town. Include some of the prices
(authentic for the time) you would expect to
pay in the stores. You will probably find
library books a good resource to complete
this assignment. Also page 438 in your
textbook gives some information you may
find helpful.
Create an information sheet focused on
miners prospecting for gold.
Describe the process and equipment used to
mine gold. Write a paragraph to explain the
process.
Library books give an account of mining
methods; you will also find information in
your textbook on page 436-439.
OR
Assume the identity of a person from the
Gold Rush. You will need to research an
actual person who was involved in the Gold
Rush or a particular group of people whose
lives were greatly affected by the Gold Rush.
You will research this person/group using
one of the above sites, books from the library
or other Internet sources. You will tell the
story of this person to the class in a minipresentation.
Story 7: The
Gadsden
Purchase
Last of the Continental
Acquisitions
The Gadsden Purchase (known as Venta de La Mesilla, or
"Sale of La Mesilla", in Mexico) is a 29,670-square-mile
(76,800 km2) region of what is today southern Arizona and
southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United
States in a treaty signed by President Franklin Pierce on June
24, 1853, and then ratified by the U.S. Senate on April 25,
1854. It is named for James Gadsden, the American
ambassador sent to Mexico at the time. The purchase included
lands south of the Gila River and west of the Rio Grande. The
Gadsden Purchase was intended to allow for the construction
of a transcontinental railroad along a very southern route, and
it was part of negotiations needed to finalize border issues that
remained unresolved from the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo,
which ended the Mexican-American War of 1846–48.
As the railroad age grew, business-oriented Southerners saw
that a railroad linking the South with the Pacific Coast would
expand trade opportunities. However, the topography of the
southern portion of the Mexican Cession was believed to be too
mountainous to allow a direct route, and projected southern
routes tended to run to the north at their eastern ends, which
would favor connections with northern railroads. That would
ultimately favor Northern seaports. A route with a
southeastern terminus, in order to avoid the mountains, might
need to swing south into what was then Mexican territory.
The administration of Franklin Pierce, strongly influenced by
Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, saw this as an opportunity
not only to acquire land for the railroad, but also to take title
to significant other territory from northern Mexico. ]In the
end, territory for the railroad was purchased for $10 million
($239,037,037 today), but Mexico balked at any large-scale
surrender of territory. In the United States, the debate over the
treaty became involved in the sectional dispute over slavery,
and no further progress was made before the American Civil
War in the planning or construction of a transcontinental
railroad
Land of the Gadsden Purchase makes
up part of Arizona and New Mexico
Closing Activity… Time to ride
out into the sunset and bring our
Web
Quest to an
end!
Select one of the following
activities
Activity 1
Games: You may work a partner this
activity
Research what type of games children of
this time period would play. Select one
game; bring in all items needed to play.
You will teach this game to a group of
students
Activity 2
Music: You will research music of this
time period. You can select to either
bring in a recording of a song(s) or you
can do a live performance of a song.
You can work with a partner if you wish.
Activity 3
Literature: Telling stories around the
campfire were a popular form of
entertainment. You will need to do a
little research to find out what type of
stories were told. You can either read
one of these tales or memorize one to
tell to the class.
Activity 4
Food: Find out what immigrants would
eat while on the trail. You will make
this authentic item at home and bring it
in for the class to eat. You can work
with a partner … this will require that
you meet together to prepare this food
outside of class.
Activity 5
Manifest Destiny has been expressed in
American History as the expansion of
territory, the spread of democracy, the
spread of religious beliefs, and the expansion
of industry and wealth. Using this definition,
you will need to find a picture to represent
each part of this definition. Go to Google
images to find pictures that fit each part of
that definition. You can use books from the
library to help identify a subject for each part
of the definition. Copy and paste the pictures
to Word and put a caption under each
picture.