Making of America

Skills Booklet

NAME:

Topic Details Know it

Moving West Jefferson and reasons for expansion/land speculators Lewis and Clark Tension caused with Indians

Cotton Plantations and Slavery

Growth of Cotton industry. Expansion into the South. Missouri Compromise 1820. Lives of Slaves.

Arguments over Slavery North v South Removing Indians from the East

Andrew Jackson – Indian Removal Act 1830. Seminole Wars and Creek revenge. Trail of tears

Native Indian Culture Roles of men and women, Hunting, warfare, Tipis, Nomadic, Great Spirit, uses of the

Buffalo Migrants move west Push and Pull Factors.

Difficulties along the Oregon and California trails Gold rush Polk: Reasons for Gold Rush and impact on Indians,

environment, mining towns. California becomes a state. Causes of the Civil War Arguments over slavery, differences between North and

South, Secession Experiences of Blacks during the War

Before 1863, what changed? What stayed the same? Improvements after Emancipation in 1863 – Lincoln

Reconstruction Era 1865-77 Progress for Blacks including Constitutional changes Evidence of lack of progress including Black Codes and

literacy testsWars on the Plains Reasons for bloodshed.

Little Crow’s War. Sand Creek Massacre, Red Cloud’s War, Great Sioux War.

Railroads Impact on the PlainsCattle Industry Reasons for the growth of the Cattle Industry Homesteaders Problems of living on the Plains and solutions Destruction of Native Indians way of life

Destruction of the buffalo and reservations

Changing lives of African Americans

Positive and Negative changes. Economic, political and social changes

Big business, Cities and migration

Types of big business and impact on workers and resources Growth and impact of cities Mass migration and impact

Content Checklist

How to answer the Exam Questions

9 Mark Questions - e.g. Write a clear and organised summary that analyses the way of life of the Plains Indians. Support your summary with examples. [9]

Skill: You must demonstrate the skill of using second order concepts: causation and consequence, similarity/differences and significance

Command Words to use:

Similarity/differences: Similarly... Likewise. Alternatively. .In contrast..

On the contrary.. Although. Instead… However…

Timing/Layou t : Two paragraphs in 10 minutes

Write a clear and organised summary that analyses the way of life of the Plains Indians. Support your summary with examples. [9]

10 Mark Questions - e.g. What caused the Civil War? Explain your answer [10]

The Plains Indians were nomadic people. They moved regularly because they believed in a Great Spirit which ruled over the earth and completely relied on the buffalo for their livelihood and so moved to be near them and to follow the Great Spirit. The buffalo was crucial to their survival and they used the hide to make their homes, used the dung for fuel and made tools from its bones. Indians lived in Tipis. This enabled them to move quickly as they were easy to put down and up and were a conical shape. This meant that they could deflect the strong winds found on the Plains and were warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Men and women had different roles within the tribe. Women were responsible for preparing food, crafting items from buffalo and ensuring the tipi was built and dismantled in time. In contrast, men were warriors and hunted the buffalo. They would perform a ‘Buffalo Dance’ before a hunt, calling the spirit world for a successful hunt.

Consequence/significance: As a result.. This led to.. Consequently.. This meant that.. This caused… This was significant because …

Command Words

Examples

Skill : You must demonstrate the skill of using second order concepts: causation, consequence and significance

Use the PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain) structure for each paragraph

Timing/Layou t : Two/three paragraphs in 15 minutes

What caused the Civil War? Explain your answer [10]

18 Mark Questions - e.g. The period of Reconstruction from 1863 to 1877 was a time of progress for former slaves in America’s southern states”. How far do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer. [18]

One reason the civil war started in 1861 was arguments over slavery between the North and South. The Northern states had outlawed slavery while it continued to flourish in the slave states of the south. Many abolitionists campaigned to expose the reality of slavery and to criticise the southern states. A novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe which showed the reality of slavery caused a storm of protest from defenders of slavery while the book was praised by abolitionists. A rebellion led by Nat Turner, a slave, provoked a national debate on slavery which was blamed by abolitionists for the rebellion. This led to war because the issue of slavery became a major source of tension as new areas of America were opened up for settlement.

Another reason for the civil war the issue of secession. 11 states broke away from the union to establish a new nation which would protect the Southern way of life, based as it was on slavery. Abraham Lincoln believed that the Union should be preserved, opposed secession, and campaigned to stop the expansion of slavery into the new territories and to introduce several economic policies to help Northern industry. He was elected with almost no support from the Southern states. There was no agreement about if, and how, a State could secede from the Union if they disagreed with the policies of the central government in Washington. This led to increased tension and division over whether the states should stay as one union.

A final reason were the differences between the North and South. The north, had an industrial economy based on large cities which became centres of trade, manufacturing and transport. The south had an agricultural economy based on large plantations growing crops such as cotton or tobacco and worked by slave labour. These differences caused a significant division in America and the North felt that they had a disadvantage as their workers were paid and could go on strike, unlike the slaves in the South.

Command Words to use:

Point Evidence Explanation

Consequence/significance: As a result.. This led to.. Consequently..

This meant that.. This caused… This was significant because …

Skill : You must demonstrate the skill of using second order concepts: causation, consequence and significance to reach a judgement that shows the two sides to the argument

Use the PEE (Point, Evidence, and Explain) structure for each paragraph

This meant that.. This caused… This was significant because However…

REMEMBER TO USE THE WORDS OF THE QUESTION AND FORM AN ARGUMENT

Timing/Layou t : Two sides written with a PEE structure for each paragraph.

Paragraph 1 – agree, Paragraph 2 – disagree.

A conclusion that reaches a decision – agree or disagree with the statement and why. 30 minutes

The period of Reconstruction from 1863 to 1877 was a time of progress for former slaves in America’s southern states”. How far do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer. [18]

The period of reconstruction was in some ways very beneficial for African Americans. First the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 declared that slaves had to be freed. In 1865, it was turned into the 13th Amendment which made freeing slaves part of the American constitution so that legally everyone had to do it. This meant that all slaves had to be freed in every state. Then the 14th Amendment guaranteed equal citizenship which meant African Americans were legally equal to whites, and the 15th banned anyone from blocking the right to vote for racial reasons. These were important legal decisions that gave African Americans legal rights. Even though these did not get properly enforced until the 1960s they were ultimately very important because they gave the civil rights movement year’s later legal evidence to gain equality.About 4 million slaves were freed. To help them to get set up, the Freedman’s Bureau was set up by the federal government in 1865. It gave housing and education to ex-slaves to help them to survive in a world where they were free. Lots of African Americans were helped by the bureau. However it was limited, because there was a shortage of money for the bureau

One reason the civil war started in 1861 was arguments over slavery between the North and South. The Northern states had outlawed slavery while it continued to flourish in the slave states of the south. Many abolitionists campaigned to expose the reality of slavery and to criticise the southern states. A novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe which showed the reality of slavery caused a storm of protest from defenders of slavery while the book was praised by abolitionists. A rebellion led by Nat Turner, a slave, provoked a national debate on slavery which was blamed by abolitionists for the rebellion. This led to war because the issue of slavery became a major source of tension as new areas of America were opened up for settlement.

Another reason for the civil war the issue of secession. 11 states broke away from the union to establish a new nation which would protect the Southern way of life, based as it was on slavery. Abraham Lincoln believed that the Union should be preserved, opposed secession, and campaigned to stop the expansion of slavery into the new territories and to introduce several economic policies to help Northern industry. He was elected with almost no support from the Southern states. There was no agreement about if, and how, a State could secede from the Union if they disagreed with the policies of the central government in Washington. This led to increased tension and division over whether the states should stay as one union.

A final reason were the differences between the North and South. The north, had an industrial economy based on large cities which became centres of trade, manufacturing and transport. The south had an agricultural economy based on large plantations growing crops such as cotton or tobacco and worked by slave labour. These differences caused a significant division in America and the North felt that they had a disadvantage as their workers were paid and could go on strike, unlike the slaves in the South.

Command Words to use:

Agrees with reasons Consequence/significance explained

Disagrees with reasons Conclusion

Consequence/significance: As a result.. This led to.. Consequently..

and it was shut down in 1872 because of pressure by Southern politicians. There were some cultural developments for African Americans as well. A number of African American Churches formed, especially Baptist. By 1890, there were about 1 million African American Baptists. Another area of progress was in the schools. The government made the first state school systems and 600,000 African American children registered for schools. This gave access to education for a large number of African Americans. Also, in the Reconstruction era, the power of the KKK was weakened. The federal government passed laws which protected the rights of African American voters and also in 1871, President Grant prosecuted a number of KKK members in South Carolina.However, this is not all evidence of progress. Firstly, even though the amendments were passed, they were ignored in a lot of ways. For example, even though the 14th Amendment made everyone in America citizens, there was unequal treatment when it came to wages and often white workers were hired before black workers. Also, literacy tests were used to prevent African Americans in some areas from voting. Some Southern States wrote specific laws, called “Black Codes” which said that a person was legally black if they had more than one black great-grandparent and they were limited to certain jobs like farming.After the Civil War, most African Americans thought that they would be given “40 acres and a mule” but the federal government did not have the money to do this. Many African Americans ended up share-cropping, where they rented land by paying for it with part of the harvest. This meant that they stayed poor and still ended up working land for white land owners like they had as slaves.Also, after 1877, the Democrats took power back from the Republicans. They stopped a lot of the progress, including schools, and focused instead on the spread west. This meant that many developments like schools were limited and did not continue to develop after 1877. So although there was some progress, it did not continue to lead to better conditions and so is limited in scale.Overall, it is true that there was a measure of progress during Reconstruction, but this progress was limited in scale and mainly came to an end in 1877.

Why was there a desire to move West before the Civil war? Explain your answer [10]

Role of Government and Presidents like Jefferson – demand for greater trade across the world and expansion to the Pacific coast. Manifest Destiny – belief it was their God given destiny. God’s mission was also to convert Indians to Christianity.

Incentives Like the Pre-emption Act of 1841 Economic depression in the east, banks collapsed, wages cut and people lost their

jobs - desire for a better life Explorers had mapped the way suggesting a safe route and telling stories of

expanses of quality farm land in California and Oregon Gold found in California – get rich quick

Why did expansion lead to tension in America before the Civil war? Explain your answer [10]

Jefferson helped to set up the North and Southwest territories, gaining land from France (Louisiana Purchase). Wanted each farmer to have 640 acres each for $1-2 an acre. Land speculators bought up land and sold it for more causing tension with farmers

Arguments over slavery. North said it was unfair as their workers were paid and could strike, damaging the profits of businessmen. Many abolitionists in the North wanted to stop slavery. Quakers and Methodists argued that God made everyone equal. Southerners defended slavery arguing that the bible said that whites were to dominate blacks. It created a lot of money for plantation owners who were determined to defend it.

Enslaved people could not vote but were counted as part of the population. A state with a lot of slaves could gain more influence in the politics of the country

Impact on Indians. Indian removal Act 1830. Five civilised tribes in the south east were forced to sign over their land and Andrew Jackson was determined to end the ‘Indian problem’. The government would support the demands of white slavers who wanted to settle there. Tribes fought back – Seminole wars and creek revenge but government won. 1838 ‘Trail of tears’ – 18,000 Cherokee were forced out on a 3 month march to Indian Territory. Thousands died from hunger and disease.

Write a clear and organised summary that analyses the life of slaves in the South [9]

Sold at auctions, families often split up ‘Pushing system’ put the faster pickers at the head of the line to set the pace Cotton picking was exhausting, often 18 hour days, all had to reach a target weight

to be picked or punished. Lived in cramped, run down cabins, often died from disease Main punishment was whipping Not paid, was the masters property, not free to leave.

Why were the Mormons able to make a success of their move to Utah? Explain your answer [10]

Leadership of Bingham Young – journey was a success because they travelled on foot using carts which they pulled. They set up the ‘Winter Quarter’s during the harshest weather. The entire winter was spent building wagons, buying oxen and collecting food and equipment for the journey to Salt Lake valley.

Brigham Young was a brilliant organiser. He grouped families into groups of 100. These were further divided into 50s and then 10s. Each group of 10 was to be led by a captain. People were taught how to drive the wagons in columns and to form circles.

Settlement at Utah. Carefully planned. No one owned their own land, the church decided how much each family got. Built Salt Lake City

Built an irrigation system bringing water from mountain streams so crops would grow. People with specific skills like Blacksmiths provided for the community

Missionaries were sent out to bring back ‘converts’. In 1855 over 4,500 came to Utah.

Write a clear and organised summary that analyses the experience of African Americans living in the South during the Civil War, 1861–65. [9]

Before 1863, African Americans continued to face oppression in the South. They were slaves who could not earn money and were denied the right to an education. They were treated as property and lived in cramped cabins with many dying from disease. In the South, a small number of slaves worked for the Confederate army but were not allowed to fight. Escapees joined the Union army fighting in the South and Lincoln passed a law that allowed them to be ‘contrabands’ meaning they could work for the army and not be returned to their masters. There were some positive changes too. In 1862, the Union army captured the Sea Islands and freed 10,000 slaves who were allowed to keep the land. This was the first sign of freedom for African Americans. This also gave new opportunities to women such as Harriet Tubman who went to the Islands to provide healthcare and education to the newly freed peoples. After Liberation in 1863 there were also new opportunities and change for African Americans. In 1863, the first coloured northern regiment, the 54th Regiment Massachusetts was formed from freed black slaves. They were granted equal pay and played a major role in the victories of the Union army. The government also granted land to freed ex-slaves to rent and many took on jobs such as mechanics and barbers. They became self-sufficient and were able to earn a decent living.

Write a clear and organised summary that analyses the difficulties faced by homesteaders living on the Plains. [9]

What was the impact of the railways on the Plains? Explain your answer [10]

Write a clear and organised summary that analyses the growth of the cattle industry [9]

Why did the Sioux and the United States come into conflict during the Great Sioux War, 1876–77? Explain your answer. [10]

Growing number of white settlers on the Plains created competition for resources of grass and water and reached a crisis point. The rapid increase in migration to the West interrupting hunting and ran through Sioux lands including railroads. The Government brought in hunters to kill buffalo herds to make way for the railroads. Destroyed Indians livelihoods.

The impact of the Sand Creek massacre and the desire for revenge. Red Cloud attacked US army forts with many victories between 1867 and 1868. Government signed Fort Laramie Treaty guaranteeing the land around Black hills of Dakota to red cloud and the Lakota Sioux.

When there was a discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874, General Custer broke this and thousands of miners moved in, breaking the Fort Laramie Treaty and increasing tension.

The actions of individual Sioux chiefs such as Sitting Bull. He refused to sign a treaty to purchase the Black hills for $6million. US government were furious and ordered all Sioux onto reservations - the refusal of Sitting Bull and other Sioux leaders to return to reservations in 1876.Led to bloodshed – Battle of Little Bighorn

How far do you agree that the building of railroads across the Plains was the main reason for the destruction of the Plains Indians’ culture after 1877? Give reasons for your answer. [18]

To a certain degree, the railroads were important in destroying the Plains Indians’ culture after 1877. However, there were other more important reasons.The trains played an important role. Two train lines were built from east and west and they met in 1869 to create one communication line to link the two sides of the country. This was a great threat to the Plains Indians because it cut through their territories. Buffalo herds were cut in two, either side of the train line. More importantly, buffalo hunters travelled the train lines, hunting huge numbers of buffalo to feed the train workers and the towns and to send east to where the industrial centres had a large leather industry. By 1875, the southern herds had been hunted to extinction. This was a very serious problem for keeping the Plains Indian culture alive because buffalo were so important. Even the bones and other parts were used by “bone pickers” so there was literally nothing left for the Plains Indians. This was a direct impact of the railroad.

Also, the railroad led to a new creation of towns and settlements along the train lines. This made it easier to settle and take the colonists’ culture into the wilderness, whereas earlier they had travelled through but not settled. They didn’t need to trade with the Native Americans anymore because the railroad brought supplies and materials.

However, although the railroad was important, there were more important factors. One was the development of cattle ranching. This involved taking areas of land which could be used to farm cattle, and it cut down on the areas that the buffalo and migratory Plains Indians could travel. Later on, by the 1880s, more cattle ranchers were using barbed wire fences to control areas instead of using the open range, and this further cut down on the available space for Plains culture.Another issue was the power of the US Army. Whenever the Plains Indians attempted to respond with violence to the threat of the colonists, the army was able to outfight them. Even though there were some successes for the Native Americans, like when Crazy Horse defeated Custer at the battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, overall the years that followed 1877 were where the forts and numbers of the US army were too much for the Native Americans to compete militarily.Another issue was the use of reservations. By the mid-1870s, the reservations were the main limitation on Native culture. The reservation lines and camps were deliberately designed to break up existing tribal structures and links. In the camps, native culture was systematically destroyed. Religious dances and rituals were banned. New police forces disrupted the tribal relationships. Children were sent to western schools where they were taught the US culture, not the tribal culture and instead of warriors providing for their families, they relied on government handouts.

Overall, the railroad had a big impact because they opened up the plains to US settlement which threatened tribal culture, but it was the development of cattle ranching and also the use of reservations that played a larger role in destroying Plains Indian culture.

How far do you agree that the lives of African Americans improved after 1877 [18]Agree:Economic = Exodusters - Booker T. Washington –

Social= Black churches …

Black artists and authors…

Political = Constitutional Changes…

Disagree:

Economic = Income in South was low because..

Difficulties for black workers in the North..

Social= Jim Crow Laws..

Poor living conditions… Political = Ku Klux Klan/Lynching

Redeemers..

Conclusion:

The growth of cities was the most significant change in American history between 1877 and 1900.” How far do you agree with this statement? [18]

Agree: The growth of cities was a significant change caused by the mass movement of people into cities; Chicago became a transport hub attracting migrants from all over Europe transport and manufacturing looking for jobs. Other large cities such as Denver and San Francisco. In 1870 there were 14 cities with 1000,000 population but by 1900 there were 38. They created demand for iron steel and coal and created new jobs in construction and manufacturing. Urban life also flourished with the proliferation of theatres and other entertainment leading to the birth of a consumer society. Public education grew and people

enjoyed going to the park, Wild West shows and would talk politics in the saloons. Newspapers expanded too. These cities however had a negative effect on workers. Migrants lived in overcrowded apartments and sanitation was poor. Child mortality rates were high.

Disagree: Another significant change was the relative importance of other factors such as mass migration. In 1890 the Government took control of immigration and opened up an immigration station on Elllis Island in New York. Many headed west to find a better life. Often migrants faced violence in the cities and low wages and prejudice because of their culture and beliefs, especially Chinese immigrants and Jews. Another factor was the growth of corporations such as cotton and tobacco factories. These became major producers but jobs in these industries were often low paid. There was a negative impact on the environment caused by mining companies who extracted coal, copper, lead, tin and iron for factories and the railroads. Huge amounts of forest were cut down and toxic chemicals entered the water supply. Another significant change was the growth in cattle ranches and bonanza farms. They employed workers who could not afford their own homesteads. They drove small ranchers out of business by oversupplying cattle, causing the price of beef to fall. They also damaged the environment by using up the limited supply of Western water and forced many Indians off their land onto reservations. Indian culture was also destroyed by the government who brought hunters to kill buffalo to make room for the railroads. As homesteaders also fenced off land, the Indians were not able to roam freely on their horses. The US Government used reservations to force Indian to become farmers. They were banned from hunting and were encouraged to live in houses rather than Tipis. They were forced to convert to Christianity and children were taught English.

Overall, cities were significant because they encouraged migration and new jobs, however cities had been growing throughout the 19th century. The most significant change came for the Indians whose culture and livelihoods were completely destroyed by the growth in Industry and policies of the US Government.

1 mark Knowledge Questions

Name one of the states that were added to the USA between 1789 and 1838.

Name one of the Indian wars fought between 1861 and 1876.

Name one of the main industries that provided employment for large numbers of African-Americans in the south after 1877.

Name one of the five tribes removed from the East between 1830 and 1838.

Name one of the settlements built by the Mormons in Utah, 1838–60.

Name one of the original 13 states.

Name one of the places that migrants moved to in the early 1840s

Name one of the beliefs of the Sioux Indians.

Name one of the all black regiments in the Civil War.

Name one of the Railroad companies that built lines linking the east to the west.

Name one of the cattle towns created by the growth in the cattle industry.

Name one of the big corporations between 1877 and 1900.

Name one of the big cities between 1877 and 1900.