Section 1: Vocabulary. Be able to determine if the word in bold is used correctly in a sentence. Hardships: difficult conditions or situations that cause discomfort and/or suffering Pioneers: the people who first settled in new areas of the frontier Communicate: how people talk, or send messages back and forth, from one place to another Settled: to move to a place and make it your home Territory: a specific section of land that belongs to a government but is not yet an official state or province; a specific area of land or a geographical region Transportation: how something is moved from one place to another Route: a path or way that is used to get from one place to another Wagon Train: a nickname for a group of wagons heading west towards Oregon Territory in a long line Canal: a man-made waterway that is used to make transporting people and goods easier and faster from one place to another using boats Landmarks: objects or structures on land that are easy to see and recognize Section 2: Short Answer. Be able to answer the questions in complete sentences for your test. Going West The Morgan family left their home in Indiana in hopes to have a better life in Oregon where they could own their own land to raise animals, and grow crops. A trip from the east to the west like this one in the 1800s took a minimum of 6 months. Travelers (pioneers) had to pack all of their possessions in a covered wagon and make the trip across country. They faced many hardships such as bad weather, wagons, breaking down, animals running off, and exhaustion from traveling. -Who was going west in the read aloud Going West? The Morgan family was headed west. -How did the Morgan family travel west? They traveled in a covered wagon. -What did the Morgan family take with them? The took much of what they owned, such as clothes, food, water, personal items, and animals. -Why did the Morgan family want to move west? They wanted a better life, and to have land of their own for growing crops. -What difficulties did the Morgan family face on their trip west? Their wagon broke down, they lost their oxen, the weather was sometimes bad, and the father got sick. -Where did the family decided to settle? They settled in Oregon. -Was life easy or difficult once they settled in Oregon? It was difficult because many of them were sick, they had to rent a small house, and mama had to sell the last of their personal items for food.
Mr. Fulton s Journey Robert Fulton invented a steamboat that turned the paddles on the back of the boat with steam instead of having people turn the paddles. He convinced an investor, Robert Livingston, to help finance his project. Fulton s design had a flat bottom, which allowed the steamboat to carry more people and cargo on each voyage. It was also more reliable and cheaper to build than other ships, and because the paddles were turned with steam, it was also faster than other types of ships. The first voyage from New York City to Albany was a success. It took only two days, where as with other ships, it would take a minimum of four days. -What is the main topic of this read aloud, Mr. Fulton s Journey? The main topic is the invention the steamboat. -Why were Robert Fulton, Robert Livingston, and others taking an important journey on the steamboat? They were taking a journey to see if Fulton s steamboat design was faster than other boats. -Was Fulton s voyage a success and why? Yes, because he showed people that his steamboat could carry people and goods faster than other boats, and his design allowed the steamboat to carry more people and goods on each voyage. -What was the advantage of a boat powered by steam rather than by people or the wind? It could move faster, it was cheaper and more reliable; and it was not dependent on the weather. The Journal of a Twelve-Year-Old on the Erie Canal A 12 year old boy and his father work on a flatboat carry goods and animals back and forth along the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo. The time it takes to travel between the two cities depends on the weather, the weight of the cargo they carrying, and how many stops they make along the way to sell or pick up goods. The Erie Canal was built to connect waterways and this made it easier for people moving west to buy and sell goods they grew out west to people back east. It was also cheaper to transport goods by canal than over land. -What is the main topic of the read aloud, The Journey of a 12-Year-Old on the Erie Canal? The main topic is life on the Erie Canal. -Why were canals built in the United States in the 1800s? They were built so boats could travel to cities where there were no rivers, and to transport goods faster. -Why were the boy and his father traveling back and forth on the Erie Canal? They traveled back and forth because they transported freight as their daily work. -How were mules and other animals important on the Erie Canal? These animals towed the flatboats. The Story of Sequoyah The Cherokee people did not always have a written language. Their customs were passed down orally (by speaking). It wasn t until Sequoyah created the 84 syllables did the Cherokee people learn to read and write. During the War of 1812, Sequoyah and other Cherokee joined the United States under General Andrew Jackson, and that is where he saw how important reading and writing were. He then spent much of his time trying to create this new language. His wife did not know what he was doing, and the Cherokee people thought his symbols would bring bad luck. His work was burned. This did not stop Sequoyah. He finally created the 84 syllables, and taught his daughter how to read and write them. Then he told the elders of the Cherokee people. After a few tests, they were convinced his writing system really did work, and he and his daughter taught the rest of the people how to read and write.
-What was the main topic of The Story of Sequoyah? The main topic was Sequoyah and the Cherokee writing. -What made Sequoyah famous? He created a writing system for the Cherokee. -Why did Sequoyah feel that writing down the Cherokee language was important? He wanted to preserve Cherokee culture and customs, and writing things down was a way to keep the Cherokee culture strong. -Did people like what Sequoyah was doing at first and how do you know? His wife didn t know what he was doing, and the Cherokee people thought his symbols were bad luck so they burned his work. -Why was Sequoyah s invention important? Before, people could only communicate through speaking. Now they can read and write. The Trail of Tears American settlers wanted what the Cherokee had: bountiful farmland and businesses. The settlers convinced the government to forcefully relocate the Cherokee further west into Indian Territory. President Jackson offered the Cherokee people $5 million to share if they moved, and provided wagons, horses, food, and other supplies for their journey west. The only problem was that there wasn t enough of the supplies for all of the Cherokee people heading west. The journey west was difficult. The Cherokee people faced bad weather, sickness, exhaustion, and not all of them survived. Many died along this journey and that is why it is called the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears and other forced movements of Native Americans are some of the saddest events in the history of the United States, but that is why we need to remember them so we can prevent them from happening again. -What was the main topic of the Trail of Tears? It was about the forced relocation of the Cherokee people. -Where were the Cherokee people relocated? They were moved to Indian Territory, or present-day Oklahoma. -What is the Trail of Tears? It is the forced relocation of the Cherokee people from Georgia to Indian Territory. -Why was the Cherokee forced relocation so difficult and miserable? They did not have a choice in being moved, and they did not have enough supplies, people got sick and died, they had to leave their homes behind, and they faced bad weather. -Who forced the Cherokee people to move and why? President Andrew Jackson forced the Cherokee people to move because American settlers wanted their land and businesses for themselves. -Why is this journey called the Trail of Tears? Many people died, and there was terrible suffering. It was a sad time for the Cherokee people. Westward on the Oregon Trail Traveling west on the Oregon Trail is full of hardships and difficulties. The Pioneers had to pack all of their belongings into a covered wagon, along with food and fresh water supplies to last the length of the journey (roughly 6 months to one year in length). As they progressed through their journey, some belongings, like heavy furniture were left behind to make crossing the rivers easier. At other times, the cattle and oxen they had with them would disappear, and wagon wheels would break or get stuck in the ruts made by previous wagon trains traveling the same path. Bad weather was also an issue. The Pioneers were so happy when they would finally reach their destination in Oregon Territory. They could not wait to build a new home, have farmland, and have a better life than what they had back east. -What was the main topic of Westward on the Oregon Trail? The main topic is the journey on the Oregon Trail.
-What was the Oregon Trail? It is a trail used by pioneers to travel from Missouri to the Oregon Territory. -How did pioneer families travel on the Oregon Trail? They traveled in covered wagons. -Did families travel alone or did they travel in groups and why? Families traveled in groups, or wagon trains because the trail was dangerous, they didn t know the way very well, and a scout could warn them of dangers ahead. -What difficulties did families face as they traveled on the Oregon Trail? They faced the dangers of their wagons breaking or getting stuck, crossing dangerous rivers, leaving behind friends and family, bad weather, and encounters with Native Americans. The Pony Express The Pony Express was created by 3 businessmen who wanted to be able to send mail from New York to California in a quicker manner. Before the Pony Express was created, mail would ride on a train from New York to Missouri, but that is where the train tracks ended. From Missouri, the mail would be put on a stagecoach, which could take a month or two to arrive in California. These 3 men decided to create relay stations where a single rider would carry mail from one station to another. Then he would pass off his mail bag to another rider. This would continue until the mail reached its destination. In order for the mail to arrive quicker than the stagecoach, riders had to be young, and horses had to have a lot of endurance and be very fast. This new service was not free, however. If you wanted your mail to go through the Pony Express, you had to pay extra for it. The Pony Express riders had to deal with weather, and wolves, extreme heat and other rough conditions as they traveled along their routes. After 18 months, the Pony Express was put out of business by the telegraph lines that spread across the country. These lines could send a message from New York to California within minutes. -What was the main topic of The Pony Express? It is about the Pony Express and how it helped people communicate during westward expansion. -What was the Pony Express? It was an overland way to send mail from Missouri to California. -Why did three businessmen decide to start the Pony Express venture? They thought they could make money by delivering the mail to the West Coast faster than what had been previously done by steamship. -Who carried the mail on the Pony Express? Young men carried the mail. -How did they transport the mail from place to place? They used horses as their transportation. -Why were the young men who carried the mail required to be small? This was so the horses could go faster. -What qualities did the horses have to in order to be chosen for the Pony Express? They had to be fast and have great endurance. -How was the mail carried along the Pony Express? Mail was carried relay style with riders having certain sections of the journey. The riders would pass off the mail to another rider at one of the many stations (later to become post offices). Working on the Transcontinental Railroad The transcontinental railroad connects the east to the west by completing the train tracks across the country (remember, the tracks ended in Missouri/Nebraska region). The trains made travel faster, cheaper, more comfortable, and convenient for those who could afford to travel by train. If you could not afford it, then you still had to travel by wagon or canal. Workers faced the hot weather, dangers from powerful Indian tribes who did not want the tracks going through their land, and fatigue from working long and hard hours. It took 6 years to complete this railroad, and that is with two companies working on the railroad. One company started laying tracks in Nebraska, while the other company started from the California coast. The two companies would meet in the middle and connect their tracks. This changed travel to the west. Also, people who were in the west could get supplies much faster, and sell their supplies to people in the east as well.
-What is the main topic of Working on the Transcontinental Railroad? The main topic is the creation of the railroad that connects the east to the west. -What was the first transcontinental railroad in the United States? It was a railroad system that spanned across the continental United States, connecting the East and West coasts. -Before the transcontinental railroad, how did people travel to the west? People would travel west by wagon, horse, or by boats on rivers or canals before the railroad was built. -What was the nickname for the locomotive train and why? The nickname was iron horse because the locomotive train was made of iron and had the power of many horses. -In what ways are the steamboat and the locomotive train similar? They both have engines powered by steam that is produced by a coal- and wood-burning furnace. They are both modes of transportation, and they both increased westward expansion. -What changes did the railroad bring? More people moved to the west, and there was more interaction between the east and the west. The Buffalo Hunters The Lakota Sioux (soo) tribe hunt buffalo to survive. They only kill what they need. They use the meat for food, skins for clothing and leather, and bones to make tools. If they kill too many and the buffalo die off, then the Lakota people will too. While on a hunting trip for buffalo, the Lakota people noticed that many buffalo had been killed, and only certain parts taken. They knew it was the people who built the railroad. The Lakota had previously spoken with the U.S. government about the pioneers over hunting the buffalo, and will try to peacefully speak with them again. If they do not listen, there may be conflict in the future. -What is the main topic of The Buffalo Hunters? The main topic is how the Lakota people hunted and used the buffalo to survive. -Who were the Lakota Sioux? They are Native Americans who lived on the plains and hunted buffalo. -Why are the buffalo so important to the Lakota Sioux? Buffalo were considered sacred and necessary because they were their main source of food, clothing, shelter, and tools. -How was hunting buffalo different for the Lakota Sioux and the pioneer settlers? The Lakota did not waste any part of the buffalo, while the settlers hunted for sport and took only certain parts, leaving the rest behind to rot.