Opening up the American West in the 1800s gave the United States a starring role on the worldwide stage. Many cultures from around the globe were enticed by seemingly limitless opportunities in the U.S. and ventured boldly to share in this era of exploration.
Choose two of the groups that were featured in this lesson (missionaries, Mormons, Chinese immigrants, and forty-niners) and think about what their individual experiences may have been like as they forged new lives on the western frontier. Put yourself in their shoes as you review what you have learned about this era. Then write a "letter home" from each of these two people from their unique points of view. Click the activity button below for guidance.
Your work on this assignment will be evaluated using the rubric below.
| Points | Criteria | |
|---|---|---|
| Details 4 points |
4 | In each letter, you provide specific details of the letter writer's life out West as a member of a particular group of settlers. |
| Comparison 4 points |
4 | Your two letters reflect an understanding of differences between the experiences of the two groups represented. |
| Authenticity 2 points |
2 | Your letters do not include any details that do not fit with life on the western frontier in the mid- to late 1800s. |
