Sit with your family

1. Sit with your family • What you need out: • Family supply poster • Daily Journal Sheet • Pen/pencil • Notebook or paper to take notes (Quiz Friday) • If the writing is in RED, you may want to take note of it…hint hint, wink wink

2. Trails to the West

3. Why? • Different reasons to move West of the Mississippi River: • Fur • A dangerous job, but if successful, can make you rich • Gold • California Gold Rush – 1849 • 30% of people made a good profit, 30% “broke even”, 30% lost money, 10% lost their lives • Religion • Mormons fled the East and Midwest because people didn’t agree with their religious beliefs.

5. How? • Independence, Missouri was the starting point for most families • The trip cost about $600 a family • Workers only made an average of $1.50 a day. If a family had two workers saving money, how many days of work would be needed to save $600? • Travel in a “wagon train” – leave in groups between 10 and 40 wagons. Why? Answer: • Family members would walk to save Ox/Horse strength

6. Other Facts • More settlers were helped by Natives than hurt in “attacks” – often the stories of Indian massacres were made up • Because of the numerous rivers and mountains, many families had to abandon their wagon and walk with the Horse/Ox. This made it hard to transport their supplies • Mormons headed West to Utah to escape religious persecution. Brigham Young was the head of the Mormon Church during their journey West

8. YOUR FAMILY JOURNEY • You left Ft. Leavenworth with your family of 4 in search of a better life. You hope your family is prepared, having bought a few hundred dollars worth of supplies. But are you ready to face the Plains, the Rocky Mountains, Deserts, and other obstacles? • This is what you faced during your first month and what decision you must face:

9. Supplies Used • It took a month for your family to get from Fr. Leavenworth to Ft. Kearney. Since you knew Ft. Kearney was along the way, your family used 50 lbs of food. Your oldest child fell in a creek, causing you to use an extra set of clothes. Lastly, the early Spring rains left many bumps in the road. You had to use a spare tire after one cracked on the rough path.

11. Decision Time • You arrive at Ft. Kearney only to see that the fort is out of supplies. You have two options: • Option 1: Take the Northern trail to Ft. Laramie, where you hear there are great berry bushes for your family to stock up on food. • Option 2: Take the Southern trail to Ft. Laramie, which is a shorter path and would allow for more rest before you depart Ft. Laramie for the Rocky Mountains.

13. Option 1 • Your family has found acres of raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries! You have gained 25lb of food for your family. • HOWEVER, your youngest child ate poisonous berries before you could inspect them. If you have a medical kit, use it to save the child (mandatory). If you don’t have a medical kit, you are forced to buy one from the Lagona family at an inflated price of $75! Subtract the money from your balance.

14. Option 2 • The shortcut to Ft. Laramie has been full of ups and downs. You broke an axle on the path, forcing you to use a spare. (No spare? You can buy one from the Lagona family for $50). The jolt from the path was so strong, that one set of ammo fell out of your wagon. But, you did find an abandoned wagon and were able to add a medical kit and a set of clothes to your supply list.

15. Tomorrow • You will find that your journey to Ft. Laramie begins to take its toll on your family. There is a store though, which will help replenish your supplies. Beware though, the store is expensive. Luckily, you hear that good hunting grounds are coming up very soon…

16. To complete today: • Complete your adding/subtracting supplies to your family supply list (cut/glue/color) • Complete your daily journal; list the $ you started with, finished with, and what supplies you lost/gained • Save your notes – quiz Friday!

18. Day 3

19. Ft. Laramie • As your second month comes to an end, the excitement of the trip has warn off. Your family members are getting sick, the oxen are losing weight and slowing down, and the trail is getting rougher. The following information should be added to your notes for Friday’s quiz. Then, we will cover what your family has endured the past month.

20. Disease • As your time on the trail increases, so does the likelihood that you will get sick. Sand and dirt contaminates your food. The humid air ruins sugar, flour, and bread. Insects infest your meat supply. The watering holes your family drinks at are infested with animal feces. You or your family members will probably get sick with:

21. Cholera • A fever that can kill within 24 hours. It’s caught by drinking contaminated water or being near an infected person

22. Dysentery • A stomach disease that causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. If untreated, it can lead to death. Obtained through contaminated water or food.

23. Scurvy • Illness caused by not getting enough Vitamin C. Symptoms include bone pain, bleeding gums, loss of teeth, pale skin, and eventually death.

24. Lice • Lice is an insect that feeds on blood and lives in the hairy parts of the human body (most commonly found on your head). Lice is seen in people who have not bathed in a long time. They can live for 20 days and lay hundreds of eggs. They cause skin irritation.

25. Lyme Disease • Disease caused by Tick bites. If a tick is infected and bites, the disease can be passed. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, joint and muscle pain, and a red rash. If it is not treated, the heart and nervous system can be damaged.

27. Ft. Kearney to Ft. Laramie • Ft. Kearney had no supplies, so your family is depending on your remaining supplies to get you to Ft. Laramie. Along the way, there were some bad times. The following supplies were used in order to continue your journey:

28. Food • Your family cut back on its rations, only using 25lbs of food. However, lack of food leads to other problems…

29. Disease • Both children get sick from drinking water that Buffalo had contaminated. You need to use two medical kits to save them. If you do not have enough medical kits, it will cost you $50 per kit needed. (You must save your children, unless you have run out of money).

30. Natives • While most Native Americans are nice, there are some tribes known to require payment to cross their land. They give you two options for payment: • Option 1 – 25 lbs of food, 2 sets of clothes, 2 ammo • Option 2 – 2 sets of clothes, 1 gun, 2 ammo, 1 wheel • ***If you do not have enough supplies for either option, you must pay $200

31. Rough Path • The rough trails cost you an axle and a wheel.

32. Decision Time • As you leave Ft. Laramie, you must cross the Grayrocks River. You have three options: • Option 1: You can try to “caulk the wagon” and float across the river. • Option 2: You can try to walk across the river at its shallowest point. • Option 3: You can pay $75 to use the newly constructed bridge.

33. Option 1 • You made it safely across the river! Congratulations!

34. Option 2 • While walking across the river bed, one of your oxen breaks his leg. You have no choice put to put the oxen down. However, the meat is a welcome treat for your family! • Lose 1 oxen and 1 set of ammo • Gain 75lbs of food

35. Option 3 • This bridge did not meet code! Too bad there is no enforcement of building codes in 1849 in Wyoming. Your wagon and family fall into the river! You lose the following: • The oldest adult in your group cannot swim, and drowns. • Lose 25lb of food, 1 set of clothes, 1 oxen, 1 set of ammo, and $50. • BUT! – The builder of the bridge is sorry, and gives you a medical kit and his condolences.

36. Rest of class • Finish your adding/subtracting supplies on your chart. Draw any gained supplies. Cross off lost supplies. We will visit the “store” before continuing on the journey tomorrow. Complete your Daily Journal with information on $ spent, supplies lost/gained, and any changes in family members (sickness, death).

37. DAY 4 • Sit with your family • Have out your family poster and daily journal

38. Daily Journal • On the back, list the amount of items you have. • Food: • Sets of Clothes: • Spare Wheels: • Spare Axles: • Medical Kits: • Guns: • Ammo: • Ox: • MONEY LEFT:

39. Ft. Laramie • Before heading into the Rocky Mountains, the most dangerous part of your trip, you have the chance to purchase items for your wagon. This is what is available at the store. Please list your purchases on the BACK of your DAILY JOURNAL sheet and how much you spend.

40. Make your purchases now: • Food: NONE AVAILABLE • Sets of Clothes: $25 • Wheel: $25 • Axle: $40 • Medical Kit: $40 • Gun: $50 • Ammo: $25 • Oxen: $125

41. ON YOUR FAMILY POSTER • On the front OR back, create a new list of the supplies you have. Put a title that says “Supplies on Day 4”

42. HUNTING • Each group will have the chance to shoot a buffalo to gain food and clothes for their family. Each buffalo shot is worth 100 lbs of food and 2 sets of clothes. You will send TWO hunters to the “field.” You will have two shots to kill a buffalo.

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44. Add the food and clothes to your total supply list. IF YOU DID NOT SHOOT A BUFFALO, and YOU HAVE NO FOOD, your youngest child dies of starvation.

45. In your notebook/back of note sheet • Would you risk your life to take the journey west for Gold/Fur/Religion? Why/why not? • 3-4 sentences

46. Beginning of Class • Pull out your notebook and write your “Weekend Adventure” journal

47. Monday • You family is making its way through the Rocky Mountains towards Ft. Hall • Ft. Hall, located in present day Idaho, was one of the most important stops on the Oregon Trail

48. Ft. Hall • In the 1840’s and 1850’s, 250,000+ people stop at Ft. Hall on their way West. • It’s owners changed hands between the British and the U.S. • Biggest selling items was FUR

49. California Gold Rush

50. January 24th, 1848 • Gold was found in Coloma, California • In today’s $, BILLIONS worth of gold found • First found as nuggets on the ground, then people began “panning” for gold • PANNING: Process of using a pan to sift through gravel to find gold