The 1850s News
Your group will make a newspaper using Chapter 10. You should include some of the
major points from the sections in the chapter. Each newspaper staff member will be
responsible for at least three articles – make sure that the writer’s name appears below
each article’s title. Papers should include political cartoons, advertisements/want ads,
obituaries, editorial page, and other key events from the decade.
Each group will represent a city’s newspaper from the 1850s. Articles should be from the
point of view of that city and what it’s readers would be interested in. All events, ads, etc
must be valid (no need to make anything up!).
You will only get the paper supplied by me for this project. You must use all of it, having all
the pages full of material. Your designs and papers should be neat and well planned. All
articles must be typed!!!!
Possible news items to cover (you may use some of these or come up with your own):
- California statehood
- Compromise of 1850 (terms, who was for it/against it)
- Stephen Douglas
- Zachary Taylor’s death, Millard Fillmore becoming new president
- Underground Railroad
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin – a book review?
- Kansas and Nebraska Act
- “Bleeding Kansas”
- violence in the Senate
- “Know Nothing” Party
- Election of 1852
- Founding of the Republican Party – Horace Greeley
- Election of 1856
- Lincoln-Douglas debates
- Dred Scott decision
- Harper’s Ferry
- John Brown’s death
- Election of 1860
- the new Confederate States of America
Possible editorial topics (cartoons as well):
- Wilmot Proviso – stance on this issue - for it or against it?
- response to Compromise of 1850
- belief in popular sovereignty
- response to Dred Scott case
- the Confederacy: can anything be done to save the Union?