PACKET 3: WHO MOVED WEST? Was westward expansion more positive or negative?

PACKET 3: WHO MOVED WEST? Was westward expansion more positive or negative?

Task 1: Individual Reading- Answer the following questions based on your document: In your document, who moved West during Westward Expansion? What was this group's motivation for moving to the West? What were some of the things this group of people experienced as they moved out West? Task 2: Jigsaw Activity You and your group mates will work together to complete the following chart. Each of you will contribute your information, like a jigsaw puzzle, to determine the various groups who moved West in the 1800s. Who Moved West Why they Went West Task 3: On a post-it write you answer and then place it on the board: If you lived during this time period, would you have moved out west? Why or why not?

Frithjof Meidell, Immigrant railroad worker from Norway, 1855 Dear Mother: You asked, How is the railroad getting along? Here in America it is the railroads that build up the whole country. Because of them the farmers get wider markets and higher prices for their products. They seem to put new life into everything. Even the old apple woman sets off at a jog when she hears that whistle to sell her apples to the passengers. Every ten miles along the railways there are stations, which soon grow up into towns. "Soon," did I say? I should have said "immediately," because it is really remarkable how rapidly the stations are transformed into little towns. People are coming out in massive numbers, I reckon since it s so easy to come West now. No longer are little babies dying on the long wagon ride. No longer are people getting kidnapped and attacked by Indians, for they are safe on the railroads. I came out to work on the railroad but didn t realize how much more I was getting. I have a home and a new life. Autobiography of a Chinese Immigrant railroad worker, Lee Chew, 1903 The treatment of the Chinese in this country is all wrong and mean.. There is no reason for the prejudice against the Chinese. The cheap labor cry was always a falsehood. Their labor was never cheap, and is not cheap now. It has always commanded the highest market price. But the trouble is that the Chinese are such excellent and faithful workers that bosses will have no others when they can get them. If you look at men working on the street you will find a supervisor for every four or five of them. That watching is not necessary for Chinese. They work as well when left to themselves as they do when someone is looking at them. It was the jealousy of laboring men of other nationalities - especially the Irish that raised the outcry against the Chinese. No one would hire an Irishman, German, Englishman, or Italian when he could get a Chinese, because our countrymen are so much more honest, industrious, steady, sober, and painstaking. Chinese were persecuted, not for their vices, but for their virtues. There are few Chinamen in jails and none in the poorhouses. There are no Chinese tramps or drunkards. Many Chinese here have become sincere Christians, in spite of the persecution which they have to endure from their heathen countrymen. More than half the Chinese in this country would become citizens if allowed to do so, and would be patriotic Americans. But how can they make this country their home as matters now are! They are not allowed to bring wives here from China, and if they marry American women there is a great outcry. Under these circumstances, how can I call this my home, and how can anyone blame me if I take my money and go back to my village in China?

Diary entry of a woman pioneer, Catherine Haun, 1849 Although pioneering was usually initiated by men, they were by no means the only ones that moved west. Drawn by the thought of rich lands and gold, many women traveled west; but settlement was often based on the possibility of making and maintaining families there. Most of these women were married, and some of the single women married on the trip or soon thereafter. Many of these female pioneers had to deal with the rigors of the journey while pregnant or while caring for young children. Taken away from civilization, they were determined to take civilization with them. Catherine Haun, young, newly married, and of the middle class, was one of the women who moved west for a new life. Early in January of 1849 we first thought of emigrating to California. It was a period of National hard times and we longed to go to the new El Dorado out west and pick up enough gold to pay off our debts. At that time the "gold fever" was contagious. On the streets, in the fields, in the workshops and by the fireside, golden California was the chief topic of conversation. Who were going? What to take as food and clothing? Who would stay at home to care for the farm? Who would take wives and children along? Advice was handed out quite free of charge and whole families, including my own, left for the adventure. Some half dozen families of our neighborhood joined us and probably about twenty-five persons made up our pack on the journey west. Finally after a couple of weeks' travel the distant mountains of the west came into view. This was the land of the buffalo. One day a herd of buffalo came in our direction like a great black cloud, a threatening moving mountain, advancing towards us very swiftly and with wild snorts, noses almost to the ground and tails flying in midair. Two of these buffaloes were shot and the humps and tongues furnished us with fine fresh meat. I have never tasted such a rich, delicious food! We had succeeded. We had made a home with rich buffalo to eat and gold found in many deposits in the mountainside. Experience of a Mormon Pioneer, 1847 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has faced severe discrimination and hatred in the East, forcing us to move West for religious freedom. 5,000 of us, under the leadership of Brigham Young, set out on the trek in 1847 across the plains in Nebraska, into the Rocky Mountains, and finally into the valley of the Great Salt Lake establishing Salt Lake City. We met, the great city on July 30 and establish a church of 40 by 28 feet. Thirteen plows had been stocked, three lots of land plowed, and 35 acres planted in corn, oats, buckwheat, potatoes, beans and garden seed. We praised the Lord and sang hosanna for the abundance of opportunity this new land presented us. We were finally in a land where we could worship freely, without fear of persecution.

Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show Star, 1860- Buffalo Bill Cody earned a reputation as the greatest buffalo hunter of the West. He claimed to have killed 4,280 buffaloes in 17 months. Buffalo Bill s adventures also included being a Pony Express rider, prospector, horse wrangler and army scout. In 1883, Buffalo Bill started his famous Wild West Show featuring cowboys and Native Americans who engaged in fake battles. The show toured all over the West. Buffalo Bill wrote about his experiences on the frontier, including this description of a competitive buffalo hunt. I had my celebrated buffalo hunt with Billy Comstock, a noted scout, guide and interpreter. Comstock had the reputation, for a long time, of being a most successful buffalo hunter, who had seen him kill buffaloes. It was arranged that him and I should have a buffalo-killing match. We were to hunt one day of eight hours, beginning at eight o clock in the morning, and closing at four o clock in the afternoon. The wager was five hundred dollars a side, and the man who should kill the most buffaloes from horseback was to be declared the winner. The buffaloes were quite plenty, and it was agreed that we should go into the same herd at the same time and make a run, as we called it, each one killing as many as possible. A referee was to follow each of us on horseback when we entered the herd, and count the buffaloes killed, by each man. We were fortunate in the first run in getting good ground. I felt confident that I had the advantage over Comstock in two things first, I had the best buffalo horse that ever made a track; and second, I was using what was known at that time as the needle-gun, a breech-loading Springfield rifle calibre 50. At last the time came to begin the match. Comstock and I dashed into a herd, followed by the referees. The buffaloes separated; Comstock took the left bunch and I the right. My great forte in killing buffaloes from horseback was to get them circling by riding my horse at the head of the herd, shooting the leaders, thus crowding their followers to the left, till they would finally circle round and round. Letter from William Baker, Cowboy to his mother, Mary Baker, 1862 Dear Mother, I seat myself this morning to drop you a few lines to let you know we are still alive and able to get round. My health is not good I have something like the flu. Sarahan s health is not goodthe rest of the family is all well. We hope these few lines may reach you and find you all well and doing well. Mother it has been a long time since we have heard from you. I have come to the conclusion that a great portion of my friends in Carolina may be disturbed by this cruel war with the Indians. We have had no protection from government when the Indians broke into our country at a desperate rate. They kill women and children, and drive horses and cattle out by thousands., I came to take up the task of manifest destiny and remove the Indians from this land. I was also successful in making a large farm. We have some 300 head of cattle, 26 head of horses, 320 acres of land, 70 acres in cultivation. Crops this year was tolerable. I raised 400 bushels of wheat. Wheat is 100 cents per bushel. Corn 50 cents per bushel. But, there is a great many people moving out from this country on the account of the Indians. I don t advise any person to come to this country at this time without protection. We can t stay here in any safety. We must end the Indians if we are to achieve manifest destiny and spread the values of our great country from sea to shining sea.