Intent

This reference page will draw students into the historic setting of the unit.

Mathematics

Although no particular mathematics concepts are addressed, this page introduces a historic context with which students will develop a personal connection, motivating their commitment to engaging in the activities to follow.

Progression

Students read the passage in the student book. This can be followed by further research about the time period and an opportunity to reflect through a focused free-write. Just Like Today is a good follow-up homework activity.

The geographical information in this unit is accurate to the best of our knowledge. The times given for various sections of the journey are reasonable estimates based on sources from and about the period. Information on prices from the period is based on sources where so noted, but otherwise may not reflect actual values at the time.

Approximate Time

40 minutes

Classroom Organization

Whole group, followed by further study in pairs or small groups, and then individuals for a focused free-write.

Materials

Large U.S. map for indicating the route of and landmarks along the Overland Trail

Additional resources to engage students in the historic and geographic context of the Overland Trail, such as video, pictures, books, and Internet resources, can be quite helpful. See the list of references in the overview to this unit.

Using the Reference Page

If possible, display a large wall map and help students trace the route of the California Trail, which began in Westport, Missouri (near present-day Kansas City), and ended at Sutter’s Fort, California. Most of this trail was originally known as the Emigrant Trail, or Oregon Trail, which ended near what is now Portland, Oregon. The California Trail split from the Oregon Trail west of Fort Hall, which was located in what is now Pocatello, Idaho. Identify the modern-day states that the trail passes through: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, and California. Students generally find personal connections to the map and landmarks along the way, researched possibly via the Internet, very stimulating.

Identify the Native American nations through whose lands the trail ran. The trail began in Shawnee, Kansas, Lenni-Lenape (Delaware), Cheyenne, and Arapaho territory. The Dakota nation held the land that is now Nebraska and part of Wyoming. The Shoshone, Assiniboin, and Crow nations held the land of present-day Wyoming and Idaho. The Oregon Trail cut through Choppunish (Nez Percé), Flathead, Yakima, and Chinook territory. Some 300 nations, including the Modoc, Washo, Maidu, Pomo, and Miwok, held territory in what is now California.

You might mark these Native American nations on the map, where the trail traverses their lands.

By the mid-1800s, the U.S. government had appropriated Native American lands in the East and Midwest and moved whole Native American nations westward. Prior to 1840, the government “reserved” the land known as the Great Plains for those displaced peoples, calling it Indian Country. The established boundary of Indian Country started in the South at the edge of the Republic of Texas and ran north along the western boundaries of Arkansas and Missouri, across the northern border of Missouri roughly to the Mississippi River. It followed the Mississippi into Minnesota before cutting across Wisconsin on an irregular line to Lake Michigan. The map for 1830 in Broken Promises shows approximately this boundary.

The land was pledged to Native Americans to have and to hold forever. The U.S. government liked to use the phrase “as long as waters flow and the grass shall grow” in its treaties. This land was to be the final home for the displaced tribes from the East and for the existing tribes of the plain. Between 1778 and 1868, Native American nations and the U.S. government signed more than 400 treaties and agreements. The U.S. government broke every one of them. The government record of broken treaties is referred to in Broken Promises.

There are references in the unit to the devastating effects of western migration on Native Americans, but this devastation cannot be overstated. Disease alone reduced the native population of North America by over 80 percent. Any stories that you know or find will no doubt add more depth to the unit.

Students will be more engaged in the unit if they can make a connection with people who made the journey. This connection can be strengthened by looking at video depicting the era, exploring Web resources, and other research work, either now or at a later point during the unit. You might also bring in photographs and drawings of the era so that students have visual images to relate to.

When the following names appear in the activities, let students know they are reading about people who actually lived during this era. Other characters in the activities are fictitious.

After introducing the unit using the student page A Journey Back in Time, use Crossing the Frontier to give a brief picture of the circumstances that led to the westward migration and of the journey itself. You might ask volunteers to read aloud as the class follows along.

To raise curiosity about the era, provide some time for discussion and for sharing information, pictures, maps, or other resources you have gathered. You might also design student information-gathering teams and encourage sharing of their findings.

After students view a video or read background material, you might have them do focused free-writing in preparation for a class discussion. Give students a full 5 minutes to write. Here are a few topics they might write about.

What did you learn from the video about the Overland Trail?

What do you know about this period of time in U.S. history?

If you traveled back in time to that period, what would you want to bring with you?

You might ask volunteers to share from their writing as a way to summarize or clarify ideas.