Actively read one of the following articles with your group; taking independent copious notes on key events, figures, ideas and policies. Be prepared to discuss your article with members of other groups on the following issues:
1. Did mass media inform or reflect westward expansion to the Oregon Trail and the Gold Rush?
2. Did the experiences of those who migrated West meet their expectations?
3. How did westward expansion affect the lives of indigenous and immigrant groups?
Gold Rush Resources
http://www.malakoff.com/gorh.htm
Oregon Trail Resources:
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/00.n.trailarchive.html
Donner Party online resources:
http://members.aol.com/DanMRosen/donner/jan47.htm
1. Did mass media inform or reflect westward expansion to the Oregon Trail and the Gold Rush?
2. Did the experiences of those who migrated West meet their expectations?
3. How did westward expansion affect the lives of indigenous and immigrant groups?
Gold Rush Resources
http://www.malakoff.com/gorh.htm
Oregon Trail Resources:
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/00.n.trailarchive.html
Donner Party online resources:
http://members.aol.com/DanMRosen/donner/jan47.htm
7 comments:
Miss Francis is quite honestly in my opinion the greatest history teacher in the world besides John Harden.
John Harden and Jakub Pyrycz
Block H
1. The mass media both reflected and informed citizens of the Gold Rush and westward expansion. Due to such media attention, immigrants would head west even if they had other plans instead. The value of gold which was then considered high and was easy to acquire seemed to be well worth the new immigrant’s time. Thus, many immigrants would head west to California for the Gold Rush. The newspapers and other public media also reflected on the Gold Rush and westward expansion. Some papers would cite how the treatment of natives in the area was unfair. Other’s would either deny the mistreatment of natives and fresh immigrants or would discuss it in a positive aspect (Manifest Destiny).
2. The experiences that an individual would go through depended on who the person was and their luck or hired workforce. Some immigrants did get to California and find much gold. Some however did not get any gold and probably sadly lived the rest of their lives out in economic depression.
3. Westward Expansion ruined the lives of both immigrants and Native Americans. New oriental immigrants were treated almost as slaves or servants. The Native Americans were pushed out of their homes once again to make room for the Gold Rush. Some immigrants were pleased with their treatment as they had a horrible life in their homeland to begin with. They saw the Gold Rush as an opportunity to gain economic success and possibly start a new generation, much like the first immigrants.
Elizabeth Che
Michelle Shed
Teresa Konopka
Block H
AP US
As history shows, westward expansion in America had somewhat of a domino effect. In the 1840s, there was an influx of immigrants from other countries. They sought riches, fertile land, industrious surroundings, and easy living. Little did they know, expansion led to disastrous misfortunes.
In terms of media, the Gold Rush was advertised as spectacular and prosperous. Immigrants from all over voyaged to California to search for coveted gold. Asians, Irish, Mexicans, Germans, and others all sought their own American fortune. Advertisements for the Gold Rush only showed the glitz and glamour of the Gold Rush. The ads neglected to expound on living conditions near mines, as well as life as a miner—something that involved heavy lifting and robust figures.
When immigrants migrated westward, they hoped for new, wondrous lifestyles. Little did they know that factions based on nationality would be formed, as well as social / economic groups. They could be coming from a well-to-do family and lineage, and only be seen as scum to other higher-up groups. Also, many immigrants from Ireland, Germany, China, and other nations did not expect such harsh terrains and winters. After all, not every square foot of America was paved and full of buildings with enough room for everybody.
Many indigenous and immigrant lives were changed during times of mass migration. Immigrants did not expect such a harsh region with food unavailable in some areas. Some indigenous Indians gave food and medicine to immigrants, pitying them. In some extreme cases, as the Donner Party demonstrates, immigrants resorted to cannibalism. In the 1840s, there were long journeys due to the ignorance of the topography of the American land.
As documents show, harsh terrain and difficult living conditions led to cannibalism and hysteria. As the “Crossing of the North Fork of the American River” photograph shows, the American terrain consisted of mostly unmarked trails in the west and dense forestry. In the “Eddy’s Journal of the Snowshoe Party” document, it was written that death and cannibalism flourished. “They ate the last flesh of their deceased companions.” Still want to go out westward?
Justin "Lefty" Lefkowitz, Jeremy Smith, Marco Muniz,
1. Mass media both reflected and informed many people about the Gold Rush. In document 1, the people who read this article became informed about the gold mine that was found "in the newly made raceway of the Saw Mill recently erected by Captain Sutter." This document also reflected on the journeys of some 49er's to California. This document says that one miner brought $30 worth of gold back with him to his home.
2. Some of the people who migrated west met their expectations and others did not. Every now and then, people would find thirty dollars worth of gold during the Gold Rush, but the majority of the people who migrated made nothing. Many of the people who made nothing found jobs as wage working miners. They were exhausted at the end of the day and many were disappointed that they made the move to go west.
3. Westward expansion affected the lives of indigenous and immigrant groups in several ways. Many immigrants migrated west as a result of the new opportunities that were presented to them in the form of propaganda. Migrating west worked out differently for different groups of people. Indigenous groups were killed. Some immigrants were considered "citizens" even though they were still treated like the scum of the Earth. The Californian Indian populations were exterminated and many Californios were legally deprived of their land.
Class Work Media Study: Oregon Trail
By Sarah Berfond, Jackie Mallozzi, Heather Vale, Ashley Aydin and Margaret Scalesci
1. The Oregon Trail reflected the immigration into the west by Americans and other immigrants. Mass media both informed and reflected the Oregon Trail. The trail informed Americans about the trail, as it consisted of the directions to Oregon and the risks included. While at the same time the media was influencing the citizens and their decisions on whether to make the journey or not. Based upon the information given by the media, citizens decided on whether the journey was worth it. The diaries from people traveling on the trail reflected the risks included and directions which were needed to survive. Narcissa Whitman wrote a diary entry explaining her experience on the trail. She explained the risks taken but also detailed some interesting experiences. “I have not found it practicable while traveling by land, although many events have passed which, if noted as they occurred, might have been interesting.”
2. The people who traveled on the Oregon Trail probably thought the experience was to be simple. Unfortunately, the trail was over a thousand miles and carried a handful of sicknesses and diseases. According to William Ashley’s diary entry, two close family friends received the mumps and were expected to die quickly. Thus, the Americans, Chinese, Irish and Germans suffered a deadly trail that resulted in unsuitable settlements. The Oregon Trail required much help from the strangers in times of illness and death. After all this turmoil on the trail, very few actually discovered gold. Therefore, a large group of new immigrants were occupying California in search of a new life.
3. Westward expansion, such as the Oregon Trail, greatly affected indigenous groups and immigrants. Indigenous groups were forced out of their land and abused by the Americans. The Native Americans had been living in Western land for so long, and being forced to move by others was disastrous and unbearable for them. Also, westward expansions lead to conflict and battles between the Americans and Indians. Immigrants were also forced to move and relocate during the time of Westward expansion. These people came a long way from their home country to settle and have a better life. Unfortunately once these Chinese, Irish and German immigrants created their own communities in the west, they were relocated by Americans. Racism developed, as these groups often stayed with the people they were familiar with. Immigrants brought their culture from different countries and mixed it with the new American culture.
The Gold Rush
By: Veronica Geager and Anam Baig
The Gold Rush was reflected by the mass media and westward expansion. When many Americans flooded into California to obtain gold, the government saw the use of California and wished to add it to the Union. After the Bear Flag Revolt, the Americans in California gained independence from the Mexican government. Thus began the greatest human migration in the history of the United States. Over half a million people from all over the world flooded California in search of gold, and the American dream. Mass communications at that time reflected the westward expansion culture. The government wanted to expand, and show the strength of the country, and many of the newspapers at that time reflected this counter culture of American morality and strength.
The Gold Rush brought half a million people to California in search of gold and other rich minerals. However, due to the mass amounts of people leaving their homes for California, few people actually found gold. When John Marshall found gold, he barely expected the amount of people who migrated to California. After the first siting of gold, so many people migrated that barley anyone found gold in the mines. Many big corporations monopolized the mines and therefore created big obstacles for finding gold. The millions of people struggled to find gold, and most didn’t ever find any.
Westward expansion affected the lives of many indigenous groups. The land they were originally promised, when Jefferson was president, was being taken away from them by new settlers. They were forced away from their lands to make way for American industrialization, and give up their native practices in exchange for a new Americanized life. The Gold Rush allowed for new lands to be cultivated, but took away from the natives, who were given the land. In exchange, the new setters forced many of the natives off of their land, and into a world were they had virtually no understanding of the culture, or of the new way of life.
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