High Level Document Based Question- This DBQ adheres to New York State Learning
Standard 1 – History of the United States and New York, Commencement Level, Key
Ideas #2 and #3. Additionally, this lesson plan corresponds with the National Social
Studies Curriculum Standards thematic strands of culture, identity & people, places and
environment.
This Frontier Document Based Question (DBQ) may be used in the classroom in various
ways. First, students may build their own DBQ scaffolding questions in pairs, as a group,
or on their own in class using the Frontier images as resources. Second, the teacher may
decide to select specific Frontier images to include as scaffolding questions. Finally,
Frontier images can be selected either by the teacher or the students and included with the
following primary sources to form a comprehensive DBQ assignment. However, at least
four Frontier images must be used as scaffolding documents.
Directions:
This Document Based Question (DBQ) consists of two parts. Part A includes
scaffolding questions for each primary source. Answer each scaffolding question
in the space provided. Part B is the DBQ. Write an essay that fully answers the
DBQ.
Historical Context:
The opening of the Frontier in the 19th century had a major impact on many
aspects of American society. Native Americans, immigrants, and Americans all
experienced change, both positive and negative in their quest to settle the Frontier.
Document Based Question:
How did the opening of the Frontier affect Native Americans, immigrants, and
Americans living in the Western United States during the 1800s?
Task:
Answer each scaffolding question in the space provided based on the
corresponding primary source. Answer the DBQ using information from at least
five of the primary sources in Part A and your knowledge of United States
history.
Guidelines:
- Support your essay with specific facts and details
- Write in an organized and logical manner
- Include a clearly developed introduction and conclusion
- Include information from at least five of the documents in Part A
Part A:
Document 1
“Many, very many, that come here meet with bad success and thousands will leave their
bones here. Others will leave their health, contract diseases that they will carry to their
graves with them. Some will have to beg their way home, and probably one half that
come here will never make enough to carry them back. But this does not alter the fact
about the gold being plenty here, but shows the what a poor frail being man is, how liable
to disappointments, disease and death.”
S. Shufelt
Letter to his cousin
March 1850
Scaffolding Question:
Why has S. Shuflet traveled our West? What are his concerns?
Document 2
“On reaching Dodge from Texas, we rode up to the Wright house where Flood met us
and directed our cavalcade across the railroad to a livery stable, the proprietor of which
was a friend of Lovell’s, the owner of the cattle. We unsaddled and turned our horses
into a large coral and while we were in the office of the livery, surrendering our artillery,
Flood came in and handed each of us twenty-five dollars in gold, warning us that when
that was gone no more would be advanced.”
Andy Adams
Journal Entry
1882
Scaffolding Question:
What trail has Andy Adams taken to reach the West? What is his method of
transportation?
Document 3
“The Indians, men and women, were in high good humor, and why should they not be?
Sheltered in the bosom of these grim precipices only the eagle, the hawk, the turkey
buzzard, or the mountain sheep could venture to intrude upon them. But hark! What is
this noise? Can it be the breeze of morning which sounds ‘Click, click’? You will know
in one second more, poor, deluded, red-skinned wretches, when the ‘Bang! Boom!’ of
rifles and carbines, reverberating like the roar of cannon from peak to peak, shall lay six
of your number dead in the dust.”
Captain John G. Burke
Journal Entry
December 28, 1872
Scaffolding Question:
What event is Captain Burke describing?
Document 4
“Our coach was a swinging and swaying cage of the most sumptuous description – an
imposing cradle on wheels. It was drawn by six handsome horses, and by the sides of the
driver sat the conductor. We had twenty-seven hundred pounds of mail aboard, the driver
said – ‘a little for Brigham, and Carson, and ‘Frisco, but the heft of it for the Injuns,
which is powerful troublesome ‘thout they get plenty truck to read’.
Mark Twain
Roughing It
1872
Scaffolding Question:
What mode of transportation is Mark Twain utilizing? What were the dangers of
this method of transportation?