Why go West?

Teaching notes

This activity is intended to develop understanding of settler motivations for moving West in the 1830s and 1840s.

The eight roles contain examples of reasons for moving, particularly emphasising work, money, land, promises and advertisements and overcrowding.

Allocation of roles, groupings and extension activities could work in a number of ways to suit your class. Some suggestions:

 In groups of eight, each student is allocated one role. Individually, for five minutes, each student familiarises themself with their own role and
uses the recording table to note down their own motivations. Next, students mingle with others in their group explaining to one another
their reasons for moving and perhaps deciding if their reasons are similar or different. Notes are added to their table. Quieter students or
classes might find sharing roles in pairs more comfortable.

 The activity could be arranged as a whole class ‘speed date’ in which each student ensures they have shared ideas with every other character
(numbered to assist) within a given time.

Extension activities

 Students could colour code their table into ‘push factors’ and ‘pull factors’.

 Within their groups or as a class it could be debated which reasons were the most important.

 One or two of the roles might be used as the basis for a whole class ‘hot seat’ activity in which the majority of students ask questions about
how the characters feel about the move (excited/daunted ...).

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 Why go West?

L.O. To analyse key reasons why people wanted to move to the West.

Task 1: Read your character notes. Record their reasons for moving West in the table below.
Task 2: Discuss other characters’ reasons. Are they the same as yours? Record their reasons on your table.

Reasons for migrating What specific details have you discovered about these categories?
West (Dates, events, key reasons for migrating West)

e.g. In 1837 John Fletcher’s wages were cut by 40%.

Money

Work and unemployment

Land

Promises and advertisements

Overcrowding

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1. Jacob and Alice Walter
You are farmers living in Mississippi. After the American banks
collapsed the price of the wheat you grew on your farm
went down drastically. You are struggling to afford to pay
for all the things you need on the farm, let alone food and
clothes for your family. A mountain man came to buy supplies
in your town General Store, he told the shopkeeper that the
land West is fertile, and there are plenty of fish and furs to
catch and sell. Might you have a better life in the West?
3. Simon Goldman
You believe in ‘Manifest Destiny’, it is the God given right
of the white settlers to take over and live in every last bit of
American land.You live in Missouri and see the Wagon Trains
leaving daily, hundreds of people all making the journey to the
West together. Every time a wagon train leaves you long to go
with them and set off to that promised land you have heard
people talking about, but you must first save the money to
join one of the Wagon Trains.
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Why go West?
2. Nathanial Murray
You have heard many men have become instantly rich by going
to California and finding gold. The whole of America is
excited, and thousands of men are making the journey, with the
promise of striking it rich at any moment. You dreams of piles
of gold. You don’t want to go and live in the West forever, you
just want to find gold, and return home to the East as a rich
man. A letter told you that all a man needs to make his
fortune is a shovel, a pick, a prospecting pan and a dream.
4. James Harries
A friend gave you a copy of the book, The Emigrants Guide to
Oregon and California which tells readers just how easy is it to
get across to the West. It even tells you the exact trails to
take! You are a young, enterprising hardware store owner and
you believe you have the skills to go to the West and make an
absolute fortune by setting up a hardware store in a new
town.
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5. The Russell family
You are Thomas, head of the Russell family. An
advertisement has been put into the local newspaper, two
brothers called Donner are setting off with a wagon train
going West. This opportunity has come at a perfect time for
you. You are skilled in woodwork and believe you would make
more money for your talents in the West where there will be
demand for your work from new settlers. You are getting fed
up of the overcrowded towns in the East. You want your skill
to make you some money!
7. The Falconer family
You live in the East of America and have been struggling to
find work for 5 months now. The American banks
collapsed in 1837 and you lost all of your savings. You need
to support your wife and 3 children.You have seen an advert
for fertile and cheap land, and you believe that you will be
able to make a better life for you and your family.
© www.teachithistory.co.uk 2012 18834
Why go West?
6. John and Geraldine Fletcher
After reading the letters of a cousin who has already settled
in the West, you both decide it is time to move away from the
East of America. In 1837 your wages were cut by 40% and now
as the man of the house John is struggling to make ends
meet as a labourer. Your cousin said in his letter he “is never
out of work, there is so much to do out here”, this made you
wonder if you too might make more money, if you can save
up to go to the West.
8. Mary and Jeremiah Johnson
You are newly married, and you both feel that making the
journey West would help you to set up a farm for your future.
In Missouri where you live now, the population increased
from 14,000 to 353,000 in just 10 years. It is overcrowded.
Buying some farm land cheaply is not easy. Adverts in the
newspapers tell you that land is cheap and plentiful in the
West. In 1842 the American government make land in Oregon
available cheaply, perhaps now is your chance to go?
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