Topics: Treaties, Chief Joseph, Statehood, WA Growth and Growing Pains
Activities: We are really getting into the "meat and potatoes" of our WSH class and learning about some fascinating, inspiring and tragic events, ideas and historical people. This month in WSH we examined the terms of the treaties that were signed by Governor Isaac Stevens and representatives from the various tribes in WA. Students read passages from the perspective of Washington's leaders and Native Leaders and discussed some of the broken promises and false assumptions connected with the treaties. Students were able to describe tribal sovereignty and give examples of how their right to self-government has changed over the years. We looked specifically at fishing rights, which were central to the treaties and are still contested today. While the tribes maintained the right to self-government, a quick look at a series of maps revealed just what they were giving up. In the immediate aftermath of the Treaty Period, hostilities began. We used the textbook and some short reading passages to learn about conflicts that arose including the Nez Perce War and The Yakima War. As we wrapped up ch. 2, lessons from the text centered on Washington's transition from Territory to State in 1889. We learned about the requirements for statehood and compared the WA and US Constitutions. In ch. 3, we read about the growth and expansion brought about by the railroads. The Northern Pacific and Great Northern were the first railroads to connect WA with the rest of the USA. This led to tremendous economic and population growth and with this period came significant growing pains. The arrival of immigrants, especially those from Asia, helped to grow our economy but many of the newcomers were met with discrimination. In the coming days, we will be using a series of resources from the Washington State History Museum to learn about the push and pull factors that influence immigration. This will also cover the period of strong anti-Asian attitudes that led to towns and cities across WA and the US forcing the Chinese residents out through expulsion. The US passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 and established immigration quotas based on the country of origin to control who came to the US. Spurred on by the RR and in the 1890s, the Klondike Gold Rush, WA continued to grow and develop. Students will use their textbooks, .ppt and a variety of graphs and data to quantify the growth and the shift to more urbanized cities, especially in the Puget Sound Region. We continue to cover lots of ground in class and students who don't finish lesson reviews in class are encouraged to complete that work at home.
Teacher Tip: Some challenging conversations have emerged while talking about the "growing pains" experienced in WA in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Check in with your students to see if they have any questions.
Teacher Info: Reach out if you have any questions.
Mr. Caraco, jcaraco@meridian.wednet.edu
