Second Benchmark – Part A
“Mountain Men and Missionaries”
Name: ______
School: ______
1. Mountain men were mostly hunting ______.
a. bear
b. deer
c. beaver
d. moose
2. The fur from the animal the mountain men hunted was used to make ______.
a. hats
b. coats
c. shoes
d. pants
3. Mountain men usually traveled in groups.
(Circle True or False.)
4. List three dangers the mountain men faced.
a. Starvation, dehydration, burning heat, freezing cold
b. animal attacks
c. unfriendly Native Americans
5. List three activities that the mountain men would
participate in at the summer rendezvous.
a. sell their furs, get supplies
b. tell their tall tales
c. drank, played games
6. Write a paragraph with a main idea and 3 supporting details e explaining why young men would come out West and
become fur trappers/ mountain men.
Some Suggestions:
Main Idea:
Young men came out West to become fur trappers/mountain men for many different reasons.
Details:
Escape bad family relations, misfortunes, or the Law.
Wanted adventure – test their manhood
Get money from the Beaver Trade
Missionaries
1. In 1833, it was reported that the Native Americans were interested in the white man’s “Book of Heaven.” The “Book of Heaven” was______.
a. The Constitution
b. The Bible
c. The Treaty of 1860
d. The Torah
2. The small settlements built by the missionaries were
called ______.
a. homesteads
b. towns
c. churches
d. missions
3. The missionaries’ primary goal was ______.
a. convert the Native Americans to Christians.
b. tell the Native Americans about the United States government
c. teach the Native Americans how to read
d. help the Native Americans learn how to farm
4. Name the first white women to cross the Blue Mountains
into Oregon. (There were two.)
a. Narcissa Whitman
b. Eliza Spalding
5. List 3 “white man” activities that the missionaries tried to
teach the Native Americans:
a. farming
b. sewing, how to dress like White men
c. reading and writing
Write a journal entry as if you were an Idaho missionary in the 1800’s. Explain:
a. what motivated “you” to become a missionary
b. what your life is like
c. how the Native Americans responded to your message
d. how your presence changed the Native Americans’ lives
e. how you helped in the development of Idaho.
(Write complete sentences and use correct punctuation.)
Suggestions:
Missionaries were believers in the Christian faith and felt it was the one true way to know God. They devoted their lives to teach the Native Americans.
Their life was had as they build farms, schools and churches while facing difficult conditions. It required a lot of work.
The Native Americans were uncomfortable with a daily schedule as they were use to a much freer way of life. Many became depressed or ill and some ran away while others fought back.
The missionaries made it easier for other White Men to come out West. This changed how the land was used and therefore caused conflict with the Native Americans and how they lived their lives.
Second Benchmark – Part B
“Oregon Trail and Gold Rush”
Name: ______
School: ______
1. Where did the Oregon Trail begin?
a. Saint Louis, Missouri
b. Kansas City, Kansas
c. Columbus, Ohio
d. Independence, Missouri
2. How many miles was the Oregon Trail?
a. 1,500 miles
b. 2,500 miles
c. 1,000 miles
d. 2,000 miles
3. How long did it take to travel the Oregon Trail?
a. 6 months
b. 4 months
c. 5 months
d. 3 months
4. Approximately how many miles did the emigrants travel in one day?
a. 5 miles per day
b. 10 miles per day
c. 15 miles per day
d. 20 miles per day
5. The emigrants traveled many trails west. Which trail is NOT one of them?
a. Santa Fe Trail
b. Mormon Trail
c. Utah Trail
d. California Trail
6. Which of the following names was NOT used to describe those who went on the Oregon Trail?
a. settlers
b. emigrants
c. pioneers
d. explorers
7. Explain why the Oregon Trail emigrants formed a circle of wagons at night?
To serve as a pen for their livestock and keep them safe.
8. List three dangers that the Oregon Trail emigrants faced:
a. diseases of cholera and smallpox
b. firearms accidents or other accidents
c. wild animals or hostile Native Americans
Make a poster advertising the Oregon Country. It should include points of interest and what drew early settlers to the west. Why did they want to come? Why would they want to leave the East?
Suggestions:
Could include drawings of landmarks such as Independence Rock, Chimney Rock, Soda Springs. Also pictures of the Willamette Valley, Fort Boise, Fort Bridger, or Fort Hall etc.
Ideas for encouraging settlers to come to the Oregon Country:
- opportunity
- wealth
- free land
- free from unpleasant personal situations back East
- adventure
- chance to make history
- clean water
- abundant food sources
Write a paragraph (including a topic sentence and supporting details) describing some of the hardships and experiences of traveling the Oregon Trail.
Suggestions:
Topic Sentence:
Traveling on the Oregon Trail had many new experiences and hardships.
Supporting Details:
- Water was always very important for their survival and for the survival of their livestock.
- Most of the pioneers walked.
- There were many dangers – wild animals, accidents, illness, hostile Native Americans.
- Food was often scares.
- Many important decisions had to be made.
- Maps were not very detailed.
- Emigrants had to learn to get along with each other and to cooperate.
- Fuel for a cooking fire was scares so they used buffalo chips.
- Emigrants limited what they could bring with them.
Gold
1. In what year did the California Gold Rush begin?
a. 1834
b. 1901
c. 1849
d. 1862
2. The individuals who participated in the gold rush were
called______.
a. emigrants
b. forty-niners
c. explorers
d. investors
3. One of the simplest methods to extract surface gold was ___.
a. panning
b. digging
c. picking
d. sorting
4. If there is a large demand for shovels and very few shovels
available, the price will______.
a. stay the same or not change at all
b. increase or go higher
c. decrease or go lower
d. not be predictable (don’t know)
5. If there is a large demand for shovels and many shovels available, the price will ______.
a. stay the same or not change at all
b. increase or go higher
c. decrease or go lower
d. not be predictable (don’t know)
6. If there is no demand for hairbrushes and very few hairbrushes available, the price will ______.
a. stay the same or not change at all
b. increase or go higher
c. decrease or go lower
d. not be predictable (don’t know)
7. If there is no demand for hairbrushes and many hairbrushes available, the price will ______.
a. stay the same or not change at all
b. increase or go higher
c. decrease or go lower
d. not be predictable (don’t know)
Write a paragraph about one of the various ethnic groups who participated in the gold rush. (Basque, Chinese, African Americans, and Hispanics) Why did they come? How did they affect the settling of Idaho? Were they successful? What was their life like? How did their presence impact different ethnic group that were there?
If you had moved west to participate in the gold rush as a merchant, what type of business/job would you choose and explain why.
Suggestions for businesses:
Merchant – store owner
Salon – bar tender
Restaurant – cook
Laundry – seamstress
Doctor
Judge
Farmer
Railroad Worker
Dentist
Preacher
Blacksmith
Teacher
Sawmill – worker or owner
Freighter
Miners