1.) Why did people move west?
2.) How did they get there?
3.) What was the journey like?
4.) What did they bring with them?
5.) What was life like at their new home?
6.) How would you describe California culture?
7.) List THREE things you leaned from this lesson.
8.) List TWO things from this lesson that you feel are very important.
9.) List ONE question you have from this lesson.
1. People in America moved west because of the idea of gold, and the idea of manifest destiny.
2. The people got there by wagon and followed either the Oregon Trail or the Santa Fe Trail.
3. The journey was rough. many people had died along the way because of illnesses, wild animals, and starvation.
4. The people moving west did not only bring the basic food, water, clothing etc. they brought one or two personal items with them, like a bible or something one of their family members gave them.
5. Life in there new home, in a way felt like a relief from the long and harsh journey. but it was still a struggle for the settlers. They experienced many hostile natives, which made it very difficult to settle into a new home.
6. California's culture was arrogant and selfish during the gold rush era. Imagine everyone trying to get the most amount of gold possible. Then, in later years, it became almost lawless. They didn't call it the wild west for no reason.
7. From this lesson, I learned that people moved west for cheap land and gold, the hardships pioneers faced on their journey, and the impact of the gold rush on California culture.
8. Two important things from this lesson are the resilience and determination of the pioneers despite the challenges faced during the westward expansion.
9. One question I have from this lesson is how did the settlers manage to establish communities and societies despite the harsh conditions they faced in the West?
Many Americans believed in Manifest Destiny, the idea that the United States was destined to stretch across the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This belief, coupled with the allure of cheap land and the discovery of gold in California, led to a massive wave of westward migration.
The pioneers traveled westward primarily by wagon, following routes like the Oregon Trail or the Santa Fe Trail. The journey was incredibly difficult, with many perils such as illnesses, wild animals, and starvation claiming lives along the way.
Despite the challenges of the journey, settlers carried not only basic necessities but also personal items like bibles or sentimental objects from their families. Upon reaching their new homes, life was still a struggle as they dealt with hostile natives and the daunting task of building communities in unfamiliar territories.
California's culture during the gold rush era was marked by greed and lawlessness as people sought to strike it rich. The diversity and spirit of enterprise also defined California's culture during this time.
From this lesson, we learned about the motivations behind westward expansion, the hardships faced by pioneers, and the impact of the gold rush on California's culture. The resilience and determination of the settlers are crucial aspects to take away from this lesson, highlighting their strength in the face of adversity.
One question that arises is how did the pioneers manage to establish functioning communities and societies despite the harsh conditions they encountered in the West? This question prompts us to delve deeper into the societal dynamics and survival strategies of the settlers during this tumultuous period.