Class: 4.11.13 & 4.12.13

Yesterday in class (4/11/13) we wrote skits on Manifest Destiny, we were given the quote, “Go west, young man, and grow up with the country…” Manifest Destiny was the idea that the Christian God wanted the United States to expand West or “sea to shining sea”. Our skits demonstrated people in the 1800's and if they wanted to go west and if they followed Greeley’s advice.  Today in class (4/12/13) we watched two videos on the push and pull factors of people moving west. We took notes on the videos and wrote three questions that we could discuss with the class. The first question was a fact based question, the second was a how and why question, and the last was a question that talked about a greater and deeper meaning. The people “pushed” west were settlers who wanted to escape the evils and racism in the south, War Veterans who were trying to escape nightmares of the Civil War and white southerners who had nothing because all their wealth was in their land. People were “pulled” to the west because the cheap land made it very attractive. The Homestead Act gave 160 acres of public land to anyone who would cultivate and live on the land for five years. Another large factor for people getting pulled west was the new railroad system. The discovery of precious metals convinced people to move out west and strike large amounts of silver and gold.