Preparing/Making the land run & Holding a Claim
What mode of transportation would people use for the land run? List 1.
horses, wagons, trains, bicycles or on foot
What kinds of animals were commonly raised? List 2.
cows, chicken, pig, goat, sheep
What was school like? What about now?
There were less people and used slates (chalkboards). We have more technology just like we are on zoom now! Classrooms are bigger.
OUR TEACHERS ARE COOLER!!! :D
What was the name of the act called that gave people free land?
The Homestead Act
What is a primary source?
Original documents that are directly from the event or time period. Examples include diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, records, eyewitness accounts, autobiographies.
Why did everyone want to move as quickly as possible in the land run?
They wanted to get to the land they liked before other people could!!
Why were prairie fires threatening to farmers?
Prairie fires will burn off all of their hard work (crops and animals if they had them).
It used to be homemade, and made from wood. We have metal and plastic furniture now that we buy from factories or big stores (like Ikea).
What was the Oregon Trail?
It was a way to get to new land out west because at the end of the trail was a great deal of land.
A 2000 mile route to the west for thousands of settlers to take when migrating to the western part of the US.
What were the type of houses that Native Americans lived in when they lived a nomadic lifestyle?
If you don't remember the name, describe it!
They constructed teepees— tents made out of buffalo skin and wood—shelters that were easy to put up and take down if a band was following a buffalo herd for hunting.
What did people's houses look like when they were holding a claim?
tents or temporary shelters
What made sod houses and dugouts good as a shelter? List 1 reason.
Dugouts and sod houses were cool in the summer, warm in the winter and good shelter from the wild prairie weather. Since they were made from dirt, they were virtually fireproof.
How did the pioneers get food?
They farmed and grew things.
What happened to the Donner party?
They took a wrong route and were stuck in the mountains because of the snow. The settlers had been decimated by starvation and cold. Many had resorted to cannibalism to survive. More than half the party eventually died.
Name two things that pioneers had to think about when picking a piece of land.
Think back to the activity where you had to choose a site!
- How far it is?
- What you will grow?
- Is the land ready for cultivation?
- How will you obtain supplies?
- How will you get your crop to the market?
- What are the personal costs involved?
- How far are you from a church, a school, neighbors?
- What is the competition for this land?
- How many family members do you have? Who will be in charge of what job?
If you participated in a land run, what would you do to make sure you got to the piece of land you wanted first?
What tactics would you use ;'))
teacher gets to decide depending on how interesting the answer is!! :D
How did they fight the fires? How is it different from the way we fight fires today?
They used things they could find in the house (foot mats, rugs, old pieces of carpet, coats and petticoats to fight the fire)
We have fire trucks or sand, we can call someone to come in and put it out
We have fire extinguishers
How are dugout houses different from houses today?
They are made out of dirt, literally dug out to be formed. Today, houses are made out of bricks/stone/ other sturdy materials.
Name 2 reasons that made living on the land that they got from the US government hard.
Could be any 2 of these:
- Technology wasn't as advanced
- Land wasn't always the best, it could be dry, difficult to irrigate
- disease
- snow storms
- lean crops
- flash floods
- plowing the land was difficult
Why did people want land? List one reason.
Land meant Wealth!! People could grow crops and raise animals.
People wanted a new life and better opportunities in America.
Some people went for fun and because it was an adventure!
What kind of transportation was the fastest during the land run?
Horses!
What is similar between sod houses then and our homes now?
Some parts of the house are made from wood, we still use wood for some houses today.
Most sod houses are one room similar to smaller homes today.
What are cow chips? What were they used for?
It is a dried cow dung. They used it as fuel.
What is one thing that pioneers had to do to successfully claim their land?
(I'm looking for a requirement)
Could be any 1 of these:
Build a home
Plant crops
Live on the land for 5 consecutive years.
How is Manifest Destiny related to people moving out west?
Manifest Destiny was this belief that it was their "God Given Right" to take over every part of North America. It is related because the idea encouraged people to move out west, expand, and claim land. People thought, "I have to do this because God gave me the right!"