What were their lives like?
Imagine this… You are a child in the early 1850's. You and your family reside
in a sturdy and well-made farmhouse on acres of land in New England. The family has lived on this property for
generations. Your father is not a rich man, and so when he makes this announcement after dinner, you knew that
one day this would happen.
He says, "The soil lately has not bore as much grain as it used to, it is giving us sickly plants, and weeds.
I have heard much of the large expanses of land in the west. The wide-open land will have perfect soil to grow
wheat and grain in. That is why I have decided that our family will sell the land and leave. I need to make a living"
There was no more to say about it. Your father was the leader of the house. Over the next month, you collected
the small things that were dear to you. Your family of six people and all of your belongings had to fit in a covered
wagon. There was no prediction on what would happen next….
Click on a link to learn more...
| Homestead Act | Packing |
| Sacrifices and Hardships | Disease and Medicine |
| Children | Settling in | The Donner Party |