Reading Historical Fiction: The Journal of Sean Sullivan: A Transcontinental Railroad Worker
In this activity, students are guided through a close reading of The Journal of Sean Sullivan: A Transcontinental Railroad Worker, a fictional book for young readers based on historical sources. Students will read a short excerpt from the beginning [...]
Background Essay on Iron Horses and American Indians
This essay discusses the impact of the transcontinental railroad on Native American life. It focuses on the role of buffalo hunters in the federal government's policy of Indian removal. This essay, and the related Iron Horse vs. the Buffalo [...]
Background Essay on Building the Railroads
This essay explains how railroads transformed late-nineteenth century America and shows how their impact was felt differently across class and racial lines.
The Iron Horse vs. the Buffalo: Native American-Settler Conflict on the Great Plains
In this activity, students read a series of primary source documents, including the 1872 print "American Progress," that depict the social, political and cultural conflicts between settlers and Native Americans during the 19th century. Then, working [...]