Wed., April 1 st , 2009

1. Wed., April 1st, 2009 Begin Ch.6 “Welcome to Kansas” Journal #6 The Homestead Act H/W: Look over notes/clean out binder of Ch.5 notes

2. Journal #6 • Look at page 120-121 in book. • Describe what that picture shows. • Based on this picture and the title of ch.6 “Welcome to Kansas: Her Light Shall Shine”, what do you think this chapter will mainly be about?

3. Chapter 6 Welcome to Kansas: “Her Light Shall Shine Timeline Highlights 1862- Homestead Act opens Kansas to settlers 1868- First Swedish Agricultural Company formed 1869- Silkville opens as a French cooperative settlement 1876- Russian Germans move into Western Kansas 1877- Exodusters come to Kansas

4. Welcome to Kansas • All but 4 tribes were pushed out of Kansas after the Civil War Let Our Light Shine • Most new settlers came from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois • Government encouraged the railroads to move to Kansas which also brought new settlers • See handout over Kansas population!!

5. The Homestead Act of 1862 • Horace Greeley encouraged many with his quote, “Go west young man, go west.” • Any individual over 21 could claim 160 acres of public land. They had to be a citizen or intend to become one. They had to pay a 10 dollar fee and cultivate the land. If the person showed 5 consecutive years of cultivation, or improvements to the land they received the title to the land. If they wanted to buy the land outright, they had to pay $1.25 per acre.

7. The Homestead Act of 1862 • Any individual over 21 could claim 160 acres of public land by paying a $10 fee. • If Land was cultivated or improved for 5 consecutive years, then title could be claimed. • Land could be bought outright for $1.25 per acre.

8. Preemption Act (1841-1891) Squatter could take residence on public lands and buy land for $1.25 an acre after 14 months Up to 160 acres could be bought Advantage to squatter: land could be bought before it went on sale – eliminating competitive bidders

9. Timber Culture Act (1873-1891) Up to 160 acres could be claimed Large numbers of trees had to be planted on a portion of the land Intent was to increase numbers of trees on Great Plains

10. Frontier House Video Journal what the families in the “Frontier House” reality show experience as they attempt to live on the frontier in 1883. I will let you know each day how long your journal entry should be. Your journal should be written in first person.

11. Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 Ch.6 info. Continued Frontier House video and journal H/W: Organize and look over notes

12. Farming Other Ways to Get Farms Preemption Act- squatters could buy the land they already occupied after 14 months for 1.25 an acre before it went up for public auction. The Timber Culture Act- If farmers planted trees on un-owned pieces of lands, they could purchase that land for a 1.25 per acre after several years Surveying the Land • Surveyors cut up land across the country into grids for sale by the government. The land was divided into 1 mile square parcels called sections.

13. Coming to Kansas Letters of Flora Moorman Heston • Lived in Clark County and moved to Kansas from Indiana with her 3 kids by train. • Husband Sam had moved to Kansas 6 months earlier to stake out a claim and had problems with the survey. The Story of Abbie Bright • Born in Pennsylvania in 1848, became a teacher in Kansas. • She came to Kansas in 1871. • She kept a detailed diary that described her taking a claim near her brother around Wichita.

14. Monday, April 6th, 2009 Ch.6 Kansas info. “Adapting to life on the Plains” Frontier House video H/W: Organize and look over notes

15. Adapting to the Plains • There were few trees, water was often seasonal, and the short grasses in the west were difficult to plow. Hardships • Depressions in the late 1800s caused problems for the farmers. • Droughts and grasshoppers also caused the farmers serious money problems. Adaptation • They often built houses from sod, or in dugouts, homes built into the ground. Try to build a sod house!! http://americanhistory.si.edu/ourstoryinhistory/tryonline/buildsodhouse.html. • They used bundled hay, corn cobs, and manure from cows and buffalo for fire. • They developed barbed wire for fencing. • They dug wells and used windmills to irrigate their crops.

16. Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 Continue Ch.6 info. African American migration to KS The “Exodusters” Continue “Frontier House” video and journal H/W: Ch.6 vocabulary due Wed.

17. African American Migration to Kansas Emancipation- the freeing of the slaves during the Civil War. • Many African Americans were unable to get land in the south and became tenant farmers (farming land for others) they fell into debt and became much like slaves all over again. • Many escaped the south and moved to Kansas, which seemed to them similar to the “Promised Land.” (economic/political/and social opportunities)

18. African American Migration to Kansas African American Settlements Most famous town was Nicodemus (named after a slave who purchased his freedom) Made up of freed slaves from Kentucky who came to Kansas for new start.

19. African American Migration to Kansas Benjamin “Pap” Singleton From Nashville, Tennessee Escaped slavery, moved to Michigan Unable to buy land in Tennessee after the Civil War, he moved to Topeka and encouraged other blacks to move there as well. Organized the United Colored Links Unable to help enough blacks he began to encourage blacks to leave the country, first to Cyprus then back to Africa.

20. African American Migration to Kansas Exodusters • The second wave of blacks were poor and from the deep south. • Named for the Exodus in the Bible • Many were so poor they became stranded in the river towns where their money ran out. • Gov. John St. John formed the Freeman’s Relief Organization to help these people and eventually they were able to afford to move to towns where they could make a living.

21. Journal Example • Date: 11/5/1887 • Our training is complete ( I actually know how to kill a chicken and prepare it for supper). Today was finally the day my family and I loaded our wagon “schooners” and began our journey toward our homestead in Boulder Valley. • It wasn’t easy packing the eggs with out breaking them but we managed to only break two. I also noticed that my parents had to drink some of the whiskey as they suddenly got headaches after hearing that our milk cow wasn’t feeling better. • Anyhow, we got the wagons packed after much organizing and teamed up the horses. I am looking forward to the wagon train ride tomorrow. I hope we don’t have any accidents on the way.

22. Wed., April 8th, 2009 Return and check over Ch.6 questions (p.120-139) Ch.6 Notes: African-American Migration to Kansas “Frontier House” video

23. Block Schedule Thursday, April 9, 2009 • Block 1 – (5th hr.) – 10:30 – 11:35 • Block 2 – (6th Hr.) - 11:40-12:45 • Lunch (12:50-1:15) • Block 3 – (7th Hr.) 1:20-3:00 • Bulldog Time (7th Hr.)

24. Foreign Immigrants Come to Kansas • Most people that moved to Kansas were from the east, however, Kansas also attracted people from Europe. • Many came from Germany, England, and Scandinavia.

25. Foreign Immigrants Come to Kansas German Settlers largest group of European settlers some German speaking settlers were from Russia, Switzerland and Austria. settled in all parts of Kansas News of their success brought other Germans. known as “chain migration.” Strong influence in central KS

26. Foreign Immigrants Come to Kansas Germans from Russia Catherine the Great - German princess married into Russian monarchyand encouraged many Germans to move into Russia along the Volga River. She died and special favors granted to these Germans ended . They looked to America and Kansas for land and religious freedom. Mennonite, Lutheran, and Catholic German Russians all made impacts on Kansas

27. Foreign Immigrants Come to Kansas The Topeka Turn Verein • German gymnastic clubs in Kansas

28. Settlers from the British Isles • The English had a strict class system that didn’t allow people to advance in society. • The Kansas Pacific Railroad and the Emigration Company in London worked together to bring English people to Kansas. • Many settled in Wakefield in Clay County Runnymede • Started by an Irishman named F.J.S. Turnly. His idea was to teach young English aristocrats how to farm. Instead, it became more of a long party. The parents got tired of it and the boys went home.

29. Settlers from the British Isles Push: Britain’s class system did not allow people to advance in society. Pull: economic opportunity; The Kansas Pacific Railroad and the Kansas Land and Emigration Company in London worked together to bring the British to Kansas.

30. Thursday, April 9th, 2009 Ch.6 The French and Swedish Immigrants “Frontier House” video and Journal H/W: Organize and look over notes Finish the Ch.6 Review questions/pg. 139 #1-17 Due: Mon. Ch.6 Quiz next Tuesday

31. The French Settlement of Silkville • Ernest de Boissiere started the communal settlement in 1869. Silkville was located three miles south of Williamsburg in Franklin county. He believed in equality and had fled both France and the south because of the inequality he saw. • He began the Prairie Home Association which cost new members 200 dollars and allowed them to share in the homes and wealth of the town. • His community produced silk, but the labor costs were too expensive to compete in the world marketplace.

32. Ernest de Boissiere (1811-1894) Ernest de Boissiere- wealthy, upper class Frenchman who believed in the equality of all men When Napoleon III came to power in France, de Boissiere fled to America, settling in New Orleans

33. SilkvilleSchool

34. Stone Silk Mill

35. Christmas in Silkville (1889)

36. De Boissiere's House (and harvest scene)

37. The Ghosttown of Silkville

38. After Kansas was established as a territory, French settlers continued to settle in the state. Ernest Valeton de Boissière, a former French army engineer, came to the U.S. in 1852. He was a free thinker who envisioned a Utopian community where all would share in the responsibilities and the rewards. Franklin County was chosen for the experiment. He named the community Silkville.

39. Swedish Immigrants • Soon after Kansas became a state, many people from Sweden suffered through a famine which made many of them want to leave Sweden • Swedes became the third largest immigrant group in Kansas • The First Swedish Agricultural Company of McPherson bought 13,000 acres of land from the Kansas Pacific Railroad. • One of the largest groups settled in Lindsborg, KS (Bethany College)