PURPOSE:

• To help you review and experience important events from Kansas's territorial-statehood period and to give you an opportunity to create a piece of historical fiction--you are to become a person living in or around Lawrence in the l850-60’s.
• Your first task is to create a believable, complete character.You may be young or old, an abolitionist or pro-slaver—the choice is yours.
• Next, maintaining a consistent point of view, you will write diary entries or letters to someone "back home" telling of your life experiences. Your entries/letters should be detailed and conversational, containing thoughts and feelings, not just the factual information presented in class.

• You are to create five (5) diary entries or letters which must:
  • be a minimum of 1 page long. Remember that minimum effort does not constitute an "A,"
  • include at least three (3) of the ten events covered in class,
  • include at least three (3) real Lawrencians from our portrait gallery,
  • contain accurate, effective slang,
  • and contain at least five (5) additional Civil War era details such as clothing, weapons, dance, etiquette, songs, prices--to mention only a few possibilities.

Traits graded are:

• Content and Ideas = 70 points
• Voice = 60 points
• Organization = l0 points

Useful Links:

• Our NEH grant collection of primary documents This site contains most of the Lawrencians from our classroom portrait gallery
  
  
• Lawrence businesses in the 1860's
  
  
• This site has it all!! Be sure to check it out.
  
  
• The Underground Railroad in Lawrence--click on Special Interest Collection
  
  
• Lawrence women and merchants on Massachusetts Street in Lawrence
  
  

• Civil War slang

• Fannie & Vera's contains clothing, hairstyles, toys, and games
  
  
• A History of Lawrence, Kansas by Rev. Richard Cordley. Find information on early emigrants, Jones' Sack of Lawrence, and Quantrill's Raid.
  
  
• Click here for a hugh variety of Civil War topics.
  
  
• Period clothing and etiquette plus jewelry, hats, and tinware
  
  
• Civil War music plus numerous links to great information
  
  
• More Civil War music
  

• Women soldiers in the Civil War
  
  
• Civil War pictures
  
  
• Click here for dances and dance etiquette
  
  
• Large variety of great stuff

Return to Territorial/Statehood Days main page
Return to Social Studies 9 at West
Graphics from Amber's Free Art

This page last updated on 2-2-03 by Carolyn Derusseau.