Rushing to the Westward Expansion

1. Rushing to the Westward Expansion BY Ashley Weitz & Neha rodricks & sophia cohen

2. DEDICATION ASHLEY, SOPHIA, AND NEHA HAPPILY DEDICATE THIS PRODUCTION TO MRS. CORINO. We hope you enjoy!

3. THE START OF THE GOLD RUSH The 49ers were the miners in California who found gold to hold. In January of 1848, gold was found in an area near sierra, Nevada. James w. Marshall was the first to find it. Almost immediately the word spread of the golden discovery. Everybody participating hoped to be rich. Americans had golden fever. Miners dug up until they reached the end, but some still never achieved their goals. Miners were 49ers because they left home in 1849. California was in for a precious treat.

4. THE MINERS The miners were in for it all. The 49ers dug & dug. People from Mexico, china, and Europe came too. Even African American slaves tried to find gold for their freedom. In addition, because everybody was from different places they all had different techniques to try and find gold. Some made their own materials and others used forks and spoons etc. However, majority came home with nothing that they expected. Every miner , every slave, and everybody just kept digging for their dignity. The forty-niners and others

5. METHODS People found gold in many ways. For example, there are many methods people used to find gold. One method people used was called the panning method. Others used more complicated methods like the long tom or the cradle. Lastly, some just went to dig up land with a pick and a shovel even though most people did not find gold they still had many ways to try. They all had many ways.

6. CONCLUSION OF THE GOLD RUSH Further more the gold rush was a very important time in history. The gold rush was successful for some people and not for others. People worked very hard to get to California and then found nothing. Many people came back with nothing because all the easy gold was found by the people who got to California first. As you can see, people were brave to California them selves to find gold. Conclusion of the gold rush

7. Before the battle at the Alamo Why people moved into Texas IN THE BEGINNING, FEW PEOPLE LIVIED IN TEXAS. MOSTLY MEXICANS LIVED IN TEXAS SINCE IT WAS THEN, A PART OF MEXICO. THIS CHANGED WHEN STEPHAN AUSTIN MADE A DEAL WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT. THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT WANTED MORE SETTLERS TO GROW CROPS, BUILD SCHOOLS AND PAY TAXES, AND AMERICANS JUST WANTED A PLACE TO MOVE AND FREE LAND, AS A RESULT THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT GAVE 4,000 ACRES OF FREE LAND TO THE AMERICANS AS LONG AS THEY MOVED IN TEXAS, AND THEY DID. BY 1833 MORE THAN 300,000 PEOPLE WERE LIVING FREELY IN TEXAS, BUT THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN ANTONIO DE LOPEZ SANTA ANNA BECAME LEADER, HE THREW OUT THE MEXICAN CONSTITUTION, CHANGED LAWS AND EVEN DECLARED AND MADE A LAW THAT NO MORE AMERICANS BELONGED IN TEXAS.THIS MADE THEM DECIDE THEY WANTED TO GO TO WAR WITH MEXICO TO GAIN THEIR FREEDOM.

8. During the Alamo How they prepared and fought at the battle THE TEXANS HAD A BIG DISADVANTAGE TOWARD SANTA ANNA’S ARMY, WHICH HE WAS LEADING HIMSELF. LUCKILY, MANY GREAT EXPERINCED MEN CAME TO HELP, FOR INSTANCE, BUCK TRAVIS, JIM BOWIE AND DAVY CROCKETT WERE ALL AMAZING PEOPLE WHO COULD FIGHT. ON FEB. 23, 1836, THE TROUBLE BEGAN WHEN A WARNING CALL CHUCH BELL RANG, THIS MEANT THAT SANTA ANNNA’S ARMY HAD ENTEREED SAN ANTONIO. NEXT, SANTA ANNA WARNED THE TEXANS THAT HE WASN’T GOING EASY AND THEY SHOULD BACK DOWN NOW, HOWEVER THEY DIDN’T LISTEN AND FIRED ONE ROUND OF CANNONS. DAY AND NIGHT THEY FOUGHT, MEXICANS MARCHING AND SHOOTING, TEXANS DIGGING TRENCHES AND SHOOTING. FINALLY, AT 5:00 A.M. ON MARCH 6TH, 1836, THE REAL FAMOUS BATTLE BEGUN. SANTA ANNA’S ARMY KEPT FLOODING IN AND ATTACKING, WHILE THE TEXANS WERE LOSING FOOD AND AMMO AND HAD TO FIGHT WITH THEIR OWN HANDS UNTIL THEY DIED. IN THE END, ALL 188 TEXANS DIED.

9. After The Alamo What happened because of the battle THE BATTLE OF ALAMO, ONLY LASTED 2 HOURS ALTHOUGH IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON THE WAY PEOPLE ACTED. ALL OF THE 188 SOLDIERS THAT DIED WEREN’T ALLOWED TO BE BURIED, THEY HAD TO BE BURNED. AFTER THE BATTLE, SANTA ANNA ORDERED WOMEN SURVIVORS TO GO TELL SAM HOUSTON, THE LEADER OF THE TEXAS ARMY, THAT HE COULD NOT WIN THE WAR AGAINST HIM. SAM HOUSTON BECAME FURIOUS AFTER HEARING WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ALAMO. HE MET UP WITH OTHER TEXAS LEADERS AND DECLARED TEXAS AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY. FINALLY, SAM HOUSTON’S ARMY OF 800 MEN DEFEATED THE 1500 STRONG ARMY OF SANTA ANNA IN A BATTLE THAT LASTED ONLY 18 MINUTES, AS THEY SHOUTED, “REMEMBER THE ALAMO!”. AS A RESULT, TEXAS BECAME AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY UNTIL 1845 WHEN IT BECAME A STATE.

10. GLOSSARY NEHA’S WORDS: ALAMO- IN SPANISH, ALAMO MEANS COTTONWOOD. ALAMO WAS A MISSION CHURCH IN SAN ANTONIO BUILT WITH COTTONWOOD. INDEPENDENT- NOT CONTROLLED BY A LEADER Ashley’s words:Gold - yellow precious metal49ers - people who left home in 1849 TO FIND GOLD HELPFUL DEFENTIONS Sophia’s words:contradiction – When someone can disagree with your opinion. Substantial – Basic or essential

11. Sophia’s citation: Social Studies Alive, Teacher’s Curriculum Institute, California, 2012 Ashley’s Citation: Gold, Linda Scher Kids Discover, New York 1959 Bibliographic citation • Neha’s citation: • www.BrainPop.com • Social studies alive; (textbook, a lot) • Teachers Curriculum Institute; Palo Alto, CA • 2012 • America Will Be; (textbook, a lot) • Houghton Mifflin Company; Boston, MA • 1999 • Remember the Alamo; Cynthia Mercati • Perfection Learning Cooperation; Logon, Iowa • 2000

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