Declaration of Independenc, Bill of rights, and the Constitution

Civil War Jeopardy

Jeopardy, Civil War

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Westward Expansion -Chinese Immigrants

While the Chinese, in particular those working as sailors, knew the west coast of North America before the Gold Rush, our story begins in 1850, as the documentation from the Gold Rush provides the starting point with which to build a more substantial narrative. Most Chinese immigrants entered California through the port of San francisco. From San Francisco and other ports, many sought their fortunes in other parts of California. The Chinese formed part of the diverse gathering of peoples from throughout the world who contributed to the economic and population explosion that characterised the early history of the state of California. The Chinese who emigrated to the United States at this time were part of a larger exodus from southeast China searching for better economic opportunities and fleeing a situation of political corru[tion and decline. Most immigrants came from the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong (canton) Province.
Chinese immigrants came from the Pearl River to be productive and resourceful contributors to a multitude of industries and businesses. The initial group of the Chinese argonauts sought their livelihood in the gold mines, calling California Gam Saan, Gold mountain. For the mining industry, they built many of the flumes and roads, allowing for easier access and processing of the minerals being extracted. Chinese immigrants faced discrimination immediately upon arrival in California. In mining, they were forced to wotk older claims, or to work for others. In the 1850s, the United States Constitution reserved the right of naturalisation for white immigrants to this country. Thus, Chinese immigrants lived at the whim of local governments with some alowed to become naturalised citizens, but most not. Without this right, it was difficult to pursue livelihoods. For example, Chinese immigrants were unable to own land or file mining claims. Also in the 1850s, the California legislature passed a law taxing all foreign miners. Althought stated in general terms, it was enforced chiefly against the Mexicans and the Chinese throught 1870. This discrimination occurred in spite of the face that the Chinese often contributed the crucial labour necessary to the mining enterprise.
Discriminatory legislation forced many Chinese out of the gold fields and into low paying, menial, and often arduous jobs. In many cases, they took on the most dangerous and least desirable components of work avaliable. They worked on reclaiming marshes in the Central Valley so that the land could become agriculturally productive. They built the stone brigdes and fences, constructed roads, and excavated storage areas for the wine industry in Napa and Sonoma counties. The most impressive construction feat of Chinese Americans was their work on the western section of the transcontinental railroad. Chinese-American workers laid much of the tracks for the Central Pacific Railroad through the foothills and over the hight Sierra Nevada, much of which involved hazardous work with explosives to tunnel through the hills. Their speed, dexterity, and outright perseverance, often in brutally cold temperatures and heavy snow through two record breaking winters, is a testimony to their outstanding achievements and contributions to opening up the west.

Trail of tears

The event known as the trail of tears involved the forced removal of numerous Indian tribes from the southeastern portion of the United States from 1831 to 1837. These tribes included the Cherokees, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muskogee-creek, and Seminoles (the five civilised tribes). These Native Americans were removed from their ancestral lands because of the passage of the Indian removal act of 1830 by president Andrew Jackson. Altogether, nearly 50 thousands Native Americans made the trek westward.

This event is remembered for many reasons. Among them is the Seminole wars (1831-1842) that cost the U.S. government over 20 million dollars. In the end, only a few hundred Seminoles remained. A second major event was the expropriation of Indian lands throughout the south which nearly lead to a violent Civil war. Another major event was the intervention of the U.S. Supreme court in those matters, that declared only the U.S. government and not the States had Jurisdiction over Native American affairs. They upheld Jackson’s Indian removal act. The final event that gives the trail of tears its name was the thousand-mile route march that the Cherokees were forced to make in the winter of 1838. All along the way, Indians were murdered, and gouged for any money they had. This terrible experience starved the Indians and left legacy of hatred until president today. In the end, the Cherokee nation population (today the largest indigenous group in America) left fewer than 1000 in what is today North Georgia and North Carolina. Today’s historians would term this forced relocation of the Native Americans and the theft of their land of the ethic cleansing. This was to be the last chance for Indigenous Americans to hold onto their land and culture against encroachment of the white man.

Ultimately, all of the Indians were settled in the Oklahoma territories by March 1839. Numerous place names in modern Oklahoma reflect the cultural transfer of the Cherokees and the related tribes.

Poem:
In Native American perspective viewing the event –

Our fears were true,
The sick went from life to death,
our wagons broke down,
first, the animals died,
and second the snow came early.
Our trail of tears may be followed
By so many who many only just began.
“Nuna Dat Shun’yi” it is the place where they cried.
It is the place where we died.

In American perspective viewing the event –

New Echota is my home,
The neighbour’s house is empty,
Those people are gone,
And so are my friends.
Soldiers came and took them away,
No explanations, only silent cries no one listen to.
Today my neighbours are white,
only the dirt is red.
Today the snow is white,
only the memories remain.

Summary - Louisiana Purchase

How much land did the United States buy from France?
When did the purchase take place?
What was the total cost?
How did the purchase of this land affect the size of the United States?
How did the President violate the Constitution by making the Louisiana Purchase?
What were Napoleon Bonaparte's plans for the land that he ended up selling? Why did he give up this plan? What are the main reasons he decided to sell the land to the United States?


The Louisiana Purchase was the sale of two million one hundred and forty seven thousand square kilometre of North American land stretching from the Mississippi river in the East to the continental divide in the West. The sale also extended from what is now the Canadian border all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. All other land that comprises the current United States was held by the Kingdom of Spain. In one purchase for the total sum of 15 million dollars, American more than doubled its size. American President Thomas Jefferson acquired the territory from the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804, which violated the Tenth Amendment in the Bills of Rights. Opponents accused Jefferson of "tearing the Constitution to tatters" They said that the Constitution made no provision for purchasing foreign country. At the time of the purchase, Napoleon was in dire need of nay source on income because of his ongoing conflicts with England. America was in great need of property for territorial expansion therefore the Louisiana Purchase came at an important moment.
One of the principle aims that Napoleon had, a side from giving the money was also to deny his British and Spanish rivals, global seaports, and trade roots in the New World. Ultimately, the Louisiana Purchase allowed America to realise its dream of Manifest Destiny. This dream would eventually allow America to go all the way to the pacific shores of California.