Please answer the following questions with at least 150 words per question.
- Role play. It is 1849 and you live in Southern Illinois. Both the notion of "Manifest Destiny" and a recent gold strike in California have encouraged some people from the area to migrate westward. Given the opportunity, would you stay in this area, or go out West? You will write a letter to a local newspaper to let everybody in the area know of your decision. To help, explain what push and pull factors would either keep you in this area or help you decide to move out West. Use examples of historical events to support your answer.
- The Mexican-American War won lots of new territory for the United States. However, it was not a popular conflict. Read the speeches by President Polk (in favor of war) and Abraham Lincoln (in opposition to war), then explain which position you would have supported and why. Refer to the speeches to support your answer.
- The Compromise of 1850 consisted of the following four issues: Fugitive Slave Act was amended; the slave trade in Washington, D.C., was abolished; California entered the Union; and the boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico was settled. Which of these issues do you consider to be most important, and why?
- After reading the chapter, do some additional reading about a specific person, place or event related to the chapter. Tell us about the topic you chose to research for this chapter: why you chose it, what you learned, and why it is important. You can post this as text, a PowerPoint, or other format. You can link to a short YouTube video clip then explain why you chose your topic and what you learned. This is your opportunity to go beyond the text and teach the class.