United States History Student Edition

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Complete Your Inquiry EVALUATE SOURCES AND USE EVIDENCE Refer back to the Compelling Question and the Supporting Questions you developed at the beginning of the lesson. 1. Comparing and Contrasting Compare and contrast the perspectives of those who observed and commented on westward expansion as a national goal with the perspectives of those who actually traveled to settle in the West. 2. Evaluating Which of the sources do you think provide the best understanding of American expansionism during this period? Why? 3. Gathering Sources Which sources helped you answer the Supporting Questions and the Compelling Question? Which sources, if any, challenged what you thought you knew when you first created your Supporting Questions? What information do you still need in order to answer your questions? What other viewpoints would you like to investigate? Where would you find that information? 4. Evaluating Sources Identify the sources that helped answer your Supporting Questions. How reliable is each source? How would you verify the reliability of each source? COMMUNICATE CONCLUSIONS 5. Collaborating Work with a partner to discuss what people are willing to risk for the sake of ideals—such as Manifest Destiny or spreading “happiness . . . peace and prosperity”—and improving their lives. How do these sources provide insight into the types of tradeoffs that American pioneers risked? Use the graphic organizer that you created at the beginning of the lesson to help you. Share your conclusions with the class. TAKE INFORMED ACTION Writing a Song About National Ideals Identify an individual, either someone from the Era of Expansion or a contemporary person, who took risks and made sacrifices in pursuit of a national ideal. Write a song that tells the person’s story and reveals what you believe is honorable or admirable about this person. Share or perform the song for classmates or an appropriate community group if you wish.

Reflections From the Trail James W. Nesmith moved from Ohio to Oregon in 1843. This entry from his journal tells how he and his fellow migrants spent Independence Day on the trail. PRIMARY SOURCE: JOURNAL “ July 4, 1843 The glorious Fourth has once more rolled around. Myself, with most of our company, celebrated it by swimming and fording the South fork of the Big Platte, with cattle, wagons, baggage and so forth. All this at Sleepy Grove. However, there seems to be some of our company ruminating upon the luxuries destroyed in different parts of the great Republic on this day. Occasionally you hear something said about mint juleps, soda, ice cream, cognac, porter, ale, and sherry wine, but the Oregon emigrant must forget these luxuries and, for a time, submit to hard fare, and put up with truly cold-water celebrations, such as we have enjoyed to-day, namely, drinking cold water and swimming in it all day. ” —from James W. Nesmith, “Diary of the Emigration of 1843” ruminating contemplating, thinking deeply EXAMINE THE SOURCE 1. Identifying How did the members of Nesmith’s traveling company celebrate Independence Day? 2. Inferring How do Nesmith’s views reflect the character of American settlers?

Nesmith, James W. “Emigration of 1843.” The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society. Vol. VII, No. 1. March 1906.

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