Projects on Minority Contributions in making
America
You will be working in groups of two to create a
Project on a ethnic minority person or group that has
Contributed to America’s growth or development
To the start of the Civil War.
I encourage you to pick people not shown on
Power-point today. May even get extra points
in doing so.
This will be a major grade and a three day project
You will be graded on your Research, Citation,
Information,
Presentation and your Class Engagement
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“Racial Group regarded by those claiming to
speak for the cultural majority as distinct and
unassimilated”
“One with style of life, language, culture and
origin differing than the majority”
For American’s it would be anyone who isn’t
WASP – White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
Chinese – Contributions during the gold rush, they build up San Francisco,
major contributions of the transcontinental railroad.
Blacks – Slaves for much of American history, Southern economic dependency,
major cause and goal in the Civil War, jobs varied and so did
their treatment.
Native Americans – First here but treated as foreigners and second class, they
are the reason colonists survive and create the nation, help fight
for American independence.
Mexicans – Constant Southern struggle, border disputes leads to the conquest
of vast Southeastern Territories, help in gold rush and the
establishment of Southeastern settlements and cities.
If your group chooses to do an ethnic group, you will be expected to do more
Work and you will be graded as such; there will be more research,
You will need specific examples and important people within the
Group that you chose.
Frederick Douglass – Abolitionist
Harriet Tubman – Underground RR
Pocahontas (real person) – Jamestown
Osceola – Seminole Wars / Florida
Santa Anna – Mexican Dictator/Southeastern United States
Dred Scott – Slave that sues for his freedom in Supreme Court
54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry – Famous All-Black Civil War military unit
Benjamin Banneker - Black mathematician and architect who planned out the city
of Washington D.C.
Sacagawea – Helped Louis and Clark across continental Divide
Geronimo – Native American who fought against Mexico and US to preserve the
Apache lands in Southeast
Tecumseh – Brother of Tenskatawa and important in Tippecanoe/Confederacy
Tenskatawa – Brother of Tecumseh and is the Prophet in Prophetstown
Sequoyah – Creek Indian that develops the Indian-Creek written language
Romualdo Pacheco – 1st and only Mexican Governor of California, fights for
Mexican rights and the right of Mexicans to hold office
Today - You will be in your group and decide what person or group you
Will be presenting on. Then compile all the knowledge you currently have
on the person/people and begin to work on the details. Tonight you will
look up and research more on your ethnic minority person/people
and bring that in tomorrow.
Tomorrow – You and your partner will bring in your own individual
at-home research that you conducted. You will compare/contrast
and compile your work together; figuring out what you can use and
if it fits together. From there you will work on the project and get it ready for
presentation the following day. Homework is to finish up the project and
get it ready to present it to the class.
Presenting Day – Every group will stand up and present with their
partner and discuss the person/people that they chose. Group must turn in
their research and citation on their topic as it is part of the overall grade.
Osceola (1804 -1838)
Leader of the Seminole resistance in the Florida
Territory during the Second Seminole Wars.
He fought against the Treaty of Payne’s Landing
which would move all the Indians of Florida
to lands west of the Mississippi River.
He was only captured because he was deceived
into thinking the United States was signing a
treaty with them. He was captured and sent to
Fort Moultrie in South Carolina where he would
die of malaria less than 3 months later.
Importance – Strong military fighter, symbol of Indian (especially the Seminole)
resistance to American expansion into Indian Lands.
Facts (This can be your groups Class Engagement) – Was not a Chief. Did not ride
a horse named Renegade. Hid and fought the Americans in swamps of
Florida. Mascot of Florida State University with the Seminole Tribe of
Florida’s approval of usage.
NATIVE
AMERICANS
Original settlers of the America’s – They traveled
The Barring Strait thousands of years ago by
following migratory prey. Splitting up the groups
spread across North and South America and
through separation, they developed their own
languages and culture.
They helped the colonists settle and get through
harsh American winters; tradition of Thanksgiving.
By helping and teaching them the way to survive
the Native American’s created America.
They will lose the colonists and American respect,
and as such, will be removed from their lands and
killed to the point where entire tribes will disappear.
(**MORE INFORMATION LIKE ABOVE**)
Important Figures – Tenskatawa, Sacagawea,
Sequoyah, Osceola, Tecumseh, Pocahontas
Facts – There are 562 recognized Indian Tribes in
North America. (*MORE FACTS*)