Mini Drama NotesLife in the West

Mormons

Mormons

• Mormon- religious group created by Joseph Smith

• Mormons treated bad by others (Smith killed by mob)

• Brigham Young leads Mormons west to settle in Salt Lake City, Utah

• Believed in Polygamy- men could have more than 1 wife (stopped this in 1890)

• Farmed in the dessert

Forty-Niners (49ers’)

Forty-Niners (49ers’)

• 49er- went to California looking for gold in 1849 • Finding gold risky work requiring lots of

equipment • Some buyers of gold ripped off the sellers• Miners lived in temporary houses and moved

often (tents and hotels)• Lots of crime (stolen gold) in mining towns and

no law system• Mining towns almost all men

Pioneer Women

Pioneer Women

• Women in west were some of 1st to win right to vote• Not many women went west• Wagons at time used as bedrooms (babies slept in

them)• Struggle to get good food (sickness and death

common)• Weather conditions bad• Most female pioneers cooked, cleaned, tended to

children, organized parties• Some women did traditional “men’s” farming work

Chinese Americans

Chinese Americans

• First came to America for gold rush but later most worked on railroad

• Many made money off miners by selling food, washing clothes, renting rooms

• Many whites were racist towards them due to willingness to accept low pay

• Whites stole gold from Chinese who found it• Lived in filthy and crowded housing• Mined spots abandoned by whites and often found more• Did dangerous jobs on the railroad• Continental railroad mostly built by Chinese

Donner Party

Donner Party

• Group attempting to take Oregon Trail to California• Captain George Donner tried to take “shortcut”

through desert with 20 wagons• Went terribly wrong costing water, food,

resources…• After desert arrived to mountains with earliest

snow in 30 years. (abandoned wagons)• Had to turn to cannibalism for survival• Half of 87 on shortcut died. (George Donner died)

Railroad Owners

Railroad Owners

• In 1850’s “Big 4” business men created plan to connect railroad from Mississippi to Pacific Ocean

• Sold stock to raise money for project• National government supported project• 1863-1869 construction• Chinese good workers (cheep and fast)• Many deaths while building (avalanches and

explosions)

African American Pioneers

African American Pioneers

• Some runaway slaves became pioneers• Many Af. Americans looked for gold but others

worked as farmers or for businesses • Some slave holders brought slaves to California

and paid them (some purchased freedom)• Some got rich finding gold. Some bought

families out of slavery• Unfair laws in CA…couldn’t testify in court

Cowboys/Vaqueros

Cowboys/Vaqueros

• Vaquero- Mexican cowboy• Vaqueros faced racism from white cowboys• Held weekly rodeos for prize of “beef” and practice

herding• Vaqueros thought only cowards carried guns…

believed in knives. • Would herd for a few weeks and herd several hundred

steer before taking to sell• Cowboys known for drinking and gambling when not

herding