American Leaders:
Red Cloud and Lincoln
Janice Machamer
Whitlash Elementary School
TAH III, Year 2 Project. American Leaders: Red Cloud and Lincoln
NCHE's Vital Themes:
Patterns of Social and Political Interaction: Change and continuity of class, ethnic, racial,
and gender structure and relations; Migration, immigration forces for social mobility and
immobility; the conditions and aspirations of common people, and those of elites, and
their effects upon political power and institutions.
NCHE's History's Habits of the Mind:
1. Historical Empathy: Perceive past events and issues as people experienced them at
the time, to develop historical empathy as opposed to present-mindedness.
2. Shared Humanity: Acquire at the same time a comprehension of diverse cultures and
shared humanity.
National Standards for History, K-4
Standard 2: Historical Comprehension
2.G:
Draw upon the visual data presented in photographs, paintings, cartoons,
and architectural drawings.
Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation
3.C:
3.F:
3.H:
Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities,
behaviors, and institutions.
Compare different stories about a historical figure, era, or event.
Consider multiple perspectives
Standard 4: Historical Research Capabilities
4.A:
4.B:
Formulate historical questions.
Marshal needed knowledge of the time and place, and construct a story,
explanation, or historical narrative.
Lesson Plan
Procedure:
1. Using the photo analysis guide (attached), students will analyze the photos of
Abraham Lincoln and Red Cloud. As the students respond, the teacher will
write their comments on a large classroom chart. The students will analyze
Lincoln's photo first, then Red Cloud.
2. Compare the comments on each chart. What comments are the same for each
person, and what are different?
3. Make a large Venn diagram and map the similarities and differences found by
the students.
4. Put up both photos next to each other. Are there any other similarities or
differences that we didn't notice when looking at them individually? Add
comments to charts.
5. Deliberative Discussion:
- What do we think we know about each individual?
- Do we know more about one than about the other? If so, why?
- How does each photo make us feel? Does personal appearance have
anything to do with our response?
- Is one man more important than the other? If so, why?
- How can we find out more about each individual?
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for supporting primary sources. Have our ideas changed?
7. Begin research. (See bibliography for resources.) Start a classroom chart for
Lincoln and Red Cloud listing what is learned about each man as research
continues.
8. Make pop-up book(s). Provide students with profiles and pages and allow
them, through guided discussion and discovery, to make decisions about what
will be put on each page. (Teacher can make decision about making one
classroom book, or allowing students to each make their own, based on student
ability levels.)
9. When the project is finished students can share books with the class, or if one
classroom book is made, possibly share with another classroom.
10. Putting it all together: Compare our original comments about the photos with
our "what we learned" charts. Have our opinions about each man changed?
Why? Why is it important to learn about historical figures? Do you think your
questions and comments might be different next time you look at photos from
the past?
Lincoln and Red Cloud
Abraham Lincoln and Red Cloud were two American leaders. They never met,
but I think they might have like each other because they had something in common. Both
of these men fought to save their nations. One was successful and one was not.
Abraham Lincoln was born in February 1809, in the state of Kentucky to Nancy
and Thomas Lincoln. His family was a very poor farming family. They moved several
times, from Kentucky, to Indiana, back to Kentucky, and finally to Illinois. When
Lincoln was 9 years old, his mother died. A year or so later his father married a woman
name Sarah. She was a good mother to Lincoln she encouraged him to read and learn as
much as possible, even if he couldn't go to school. His friends and fellow workers said
he always had a book in his hand and he read whenever he could. He also worked very
hard on the farm and grew into a tall, strong, young man.
When Lincoln was 19 he helped guide a flatboat down the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers to New Orleans. There, he saw slaves being sold and badly treated for the first
time. He never forgot it, and he began to believe that slavery was wrong and should not
be a part of a free nation. He made one more trip to New Orleans when he was 22 years
old. After that trip he decided he did not want the hard life of a frontier farmer so he
moved to a town in Illinois to work in a friend's store. While living there he became
interested in politics and ran for the legislature, a group of men who helped make laws
for the state. He didn't get elected that time, but he kept trying. The second time he won
and became a representative. Lincoln realized that he would need to know about the law
to do a good job so he began reading as much as he could and eventually became a
lawyer too. He was reelected to the state legislature three more times.
In 1837, Lincoln met a young woman named Mary Todd. They fell in love and
were married in 1842. Over they next nine years they had four sons: Robert, Edward,
William, and Thomas.
Lincoln decided to run for Congress, a group that represents all of the United
States. He won the election and he and the family moved to Washington, D.C., our
nation's capital. He only served one term, then returned to Springfield, Illinois, and
continued working as a lawyer and a politician. Then, very sad thing happened. Edward
Lincoln became very ill and died. The Lincoln's grieved for a long time.
Lincoln decided to run for Congress again, this time against a man named Stephen
Douglas. Lincoln lost, but that did not stop him. Two years later he ran for President of
the United States. This time he won! Abraham Lincoln, whose life began as a poor farm
boy with little formal education had become President of the United States.
During the years before Lincoln became president, our country had begun arguing
over the issue of slavery. The southern part of the United States wanted slavery to
continue, and also wanted all the new states to allow slavery too. The northern part did
not want slavery to be allowed in the new states. People were getting angrier and angrier.
Some of the southern states decided they did not want to be a part of the United States if
they couldn't have slavery, so they seceded, or left, the United States and formed their
own government, called the Confederacy. The Northern states, now called the Union,
didn't like this and wanted to stop them from leaving. Can you see why people were
angry?
Right after Lincoln became president, war broke out. We call it the Civil War, or
War Between the States (northern states against the southern states). It was a terrible
war. Brothers fought brothers, fathers fought sons, and thousands and thousands of men
died. It lasted for four long years. Not only did Lincoln have to make hard decisions
about the war, but another family tragedy occurred. Willie Lincoln, age 12, died. The
Lincoln's were devastated by his death, and never got over it
Abraham Lincoln did whatever he could to win the war and keep the United
States as one nation, but it was very difficult and a very sad time for our country. During
this time he wrote a very important document called "The Emancipation Proclamation."
This document said that all of the slaves in the southern states were free from that time
on. Later, after the war was over, a law was passed saying no slavery would be allowed
anywhere in the United States, and that all slaves were free. This was one of Lincoln's
greatest accomplishments. In April, 1865, the war finally ended, with the Confederacy
surrendering to the Union. Lincoln had been reelected as President and wanted to work
carefully to make the United States whole again. Unfortunately that would not happen.
On April 14, 1865, while Lincoln was at the theater watching a play he was shot
in the head and killed by a man named John Wilkes Booth. The nation was shocked, and
mourned his death. Having Lincoln die so suddenly caused a lot of confusion, and made
it harder to heal our country, but eventually it happened and we became one nation again.
Because of Abraham Lincoln's determination to keep the United States together and to
free the slaves, he is seen as one of our greatest presidents ever.
Red Cloud, an Oglala Sioux, was born in May, 1822 in what is now the state of
Nebraska. It was called "Indian Territory" when he was born. The Sioux were a Native
American tribe living on the great plains. His father was also called Red Cloud and his
mother was Walks-As-She-Thinks. Red Cloud's father died when he was very young, so
he lived with his Uncle, Chief Old Smoke. Because the Sioux did not have a written
language, we don't know a lot about Red Cloud when he was young boy. He probably
was raised the way most young Sioux boys were. He was taught to hunt, to make and use
a bow and arrow, and to train and ride horses, and played lots of games that taught him
the skills he would need as an adult warrior. His people lived in tepees and moved
around the Great Plains following the buffalo and other wild game. Almost everything
the Sioux needed came from the buffalo; clothes, tools, food, tepees, and blankets. In the
winter they lived in sheltered areas with trees, usually next to a water source like a river
or creek.
Red Cloud was born during a time when the people of the United States were
moving west. The Native Americans were being pushed off of their traditional lands in
the eastern part of the US, and being forced to move farther west. They didn't like being
told to move, and some of them fought to keep their lands. The United States
Government often made treaties, or agreements with the Native Americans, but
unfortunately they did not always keep their promises, so the Sioux had to keep fighting
trying to protect their land and people. As Red Cloud grew he saw these things
happening.
When Red Cloud was 13 years old he went on his first successful buffalo hunt.
His first arrow did not kill the buffalo, but caused it to charge him. Instead of running
away she shot it with a second arrow and killed it. The men with him said he was very
brave. At age sixteen he participated in his first raid on an enemy village, the Pawnees.
Again he showed courage and intelligence, stealing his first horse. The people in his
tribe were beginning to notice his abilities. He married a girl named Pretty Owl and had
a family. Through the years he continued to lead raids and war parties. During one raid
he was shot in the side and nearly died. It took over two months to recover, and the
wound bothered him for the rest of his life. However, most of the time he was successful
and the people of his tribe trusted him and recognized him as a leader and chief of the
whole Sioux nation.
In the mid 1860's something happened that made Red Cloud famous. The United
States wanted a trail called the Bozeman Trail that settlers could take to move farther
west into Montana. They wanted to put forts along the trail to help protect the settlers
and to provide supplies for them. But this was where the Sioux lived and hunted. Red
Cloud said 'No forts', but the US built them anyway. Red Cloud and his warriors
attacked the settlers and the forts and closed the trail. Many soldiers were killed, but not
many Sioux! This was called Red Cloud's war, and is the only war the Native American's
won against the United States. Eventually the United States made a treaty with Red
Cloud. He often traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with leaders there and make sure
his people were treated well and that the treaties were honored. He wanted the Sioux to
be able to hunt and move around where they had always lived, but he was not able to
keep the Sioux lands free of white people looking for land. Eventually he and his people
had to move to a reservation in South Dakota called the Pine Ridge Reservation. Red
Cloud worked with the United States Government in order to protect his people, but
eventually he had to give up. His nation got smaller and smaller, with fewer and fewer
people. Red Cloud died of old age on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1909, at age 87.
Lincoln, Abraham. (1809-1865). Sixteenth President of the United States of America.
Abraham Lincoln was born in the state of Kentucky. As a young adult he became active
in politics and eventually won a seat in the State Legislature. He later ran for Congress as
a Whig, winning a seat there, and served for one term. As the politics of his time shifted
and animosity between slave and non-slave states grew, he became a member of the new
Republican Party, gaining recognition for his stand against slavery. The famous LincolnDouglas debates helped move him further up the political circle. He won the presidential
election of 1860. His election caused the southern coalition to begin seceding. Civil war
broke out on April 12, 1861 when the Confederacy fired on Fort Sumter. Lincoln led the
Union through four long, hard years of civil war, punctuated by his difficulty in finding a
general who would lead them to victory. Finally, on April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee
surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. Less than a week later, Lincoln was assassinated at
Ford's Theater on April 15, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth.
Red Cloud (1822-1909). Chief of the Sioux Nation. Red Cloud was born in what is now
the state of Nebraska. He had his first successful buffalo hunt at age 13, and first raid on
a Pawnee village at age 16. Red Cloud's courage was recognized and honored even while
a young man, and with continued successful leadership on raids and war parties moved to
the position of chief. He is best known for successfully closing the Bozeman Trail, the
only war the plains tribe won against the United States. He played a role in several
treaties, and became a diplomat, traveling often to Washington, D.C., and working to
protect Sioux land and provide for his people. Eventually the Sioux were moved to the
Pine Ridge reservation near the Black Hills where Red Cloud lived the rest of his life.
He died in 1909 at age 87.
Photo Analysis Worksheet
Step 1: Observation
A. Look carefully at the photograph. What is it mostly about? What colors do you
see? Where is it? Does it look old or new? Are there interesting details?
B. Use the chart below to list people, objects and activities in the photo.
People
Objects
Activities
Step 2: Inference
Based on what you see in the photo who do you think this person is? Is he
important? Does he look familiar? Do you think you might like him?
Step 3: Questions
What questions can we ask about this person?
(Adapted from the Photo Analysis Worksheet, Designed and developed by the Education Staff, National Archives and
Records Administration, Washington, D.C., 20408)
Assessment Rubric
Knowledge
Reasoning
Communication
4
4
4
Able to relate/write/draw facts
and details accurately.
Remembers key facts about each
characters and distinguishes the
differences between them.
Participates appropriately in
discussions. Remains on topic,
add own novel thoughts and ideas
that are reasonable and accurate
for the characters discussed.
Project indicates a solid
understanding and knowledge
base of characters. Details are
accurate, organized, and
presentation is clean and
thoughtful.
3
3
3
Able to relate/write/draw most
facts accurately. May still
confuse some information.
Participates appropriately in
discussions. Remains on topic
and is able to add to discussions,
although some information may
be inaccurate.
Project indicates a general
understanding of characters and
concepts. Some inaccuracies in
details may exist but characters
are mostly presented in a true
fashion.
2
2
2
Able to relate some facts and
supporting details, but they may
be mixed up or inaccurate.
Participates in discussions, but
Project shows little detail that
comments are mostly unrelated to relates directly to character's life.
characters or topic.
Details focus mostly on what the
student thinks, rather than on
what is accurate.
1
1
1
Unable to relate, write, or
illustrate details about the key
characters.
Unable to participate in
discussions about the characters
or add novel comments.
Project shows a lack of
understanding of important
details of characters lives.
(Adapted from Drake and Nelson's Engagement in Teaching History, pgs. 120-121.)
Bibliography
Brenner, Martha. Abe Lincoln's Hat. New York: Random House, 1994.
Cary, Barbara. Meet Abraham Lincoln. New York: Random House, 1965.
Ford, Carin. The Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Berkeley
Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc. 2004.
Ford, Carin. Lincoln, Slavery, and the Emancipation Proclamation. Berkeley Heights,
NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2004.
Freedman, Russell. Indian Chiefs. New York: Holiday House, 1987.
Paul, Eli (Ed.). Autobiography of Red Cloud: War Leader of the Oglalas. Helena, MT:
Montana Historical Society Press, 1997.
Monroe, Judy. Chief Red Cloud: 1822-1909. Mankato, MN: Blue Earth Books, 2004.
Goodyear, Frank H. Red Cloud: Photographs of a Lakota Chief. Lincoln, NE:
University of Nebraska Press, 2003.
Grabowski, John F. Famous Figures of the Civil War Era: Abraham Lincoln, Civil War
President. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001.
McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Miers, Earl S. Abraham Lincoln in Peace and War. New York: American Heritage
Publishing Company, 1964.
Bad Hand, Terry M. Daily Life in a Plains Indian Village 1868. New York: Clarion
Books, 1999.
Websites
http://www.apples4theteacher.com
http://anthropology.si.edu/redcloud/bio_slideshow/
Photos:
Red Cloud: Goodyear, Frank H. Red Cloud: Photographs of a Lakota Chief. Lincoln,
NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2003, pgs. 54 and 69.
Lincoln: www.civics-online.org/.../images/lincoln1.html,
www.historyplace.com/lincoln/index.html
Sample Pages: Pop-Up Book