The more things change...

[sartorias]

So the next unit is the Westward movement for my fifth graders. I'm looking through collections of diaries and letters and memoirs of Pioneers and others involved in the Westward Movement.

Came across this bit from a letter from a wagon train driver going out to the Gold Rush.

Whenever a wagon unluckily gets stuck in the mud in crossing some

Comments

[tharain]

I was gonna say. There has always been road rage. That's just...omg.

[akamarykate]

That's hilarious, truly.

I once wrote a unity on Westward Expansion, and still have a lot of books reprinting diaries and such (especially women's records of their experiences). What always strikes me is how wide-open their eyes were, and how many details they included. There was definitely a sense that "We are Living Through History", and a drive to preserve every day of the journey. A sense of humor seems to have been almost as important as hard tack and salt pork.

[akamarykate]

Or possibly, I wrote a *unit*. *headdesk*

[tharain]

Or possibly, I wrote a *unit*.

LOL Oh, dear, I'm glad you corrected that. I read your comment and thought "What's a unity? I'll have to remember this new writing term..."

THAT would have been amusing.

[starshipcat]

Technology may change, but human nature doesn't.

Trail Rage

[madwriter]

Only 2 1/2 minutes? And here I thought everything took so much longer in those days . . .

[tesserae_]

You know, there are any number of Westward Movement folk buried down at Angelus Rosedale cemetery on Washington and Normandie- I know we've had at least one Donner party member on our Living History tour, and I could get a list for you if it would be helpful.

Might make it a little more interesting for the kids, anyways!