The Gold Rush of 1849 Primary Source and Image Analysis Stations Activity

Students will learn about the California Gold Rush by reading and analyzing 4 primary sources and 12 images/political cartoons (the sources and questions are set up so that this can be divided into stations). There are 33 questions across the texts and 10 questions/prompts for the images. The sources are excerpts from Polk's address to Congress in 1848, a memoir of an 1849 prospector, an article in the Missouri Whig from 1849, and a prospector's experience in 1851. 

Teacher information and the answers are provided where appropriate so this would be great for a sub!  

Sample questions include:
--Why did Polk deem such corroboration necessary?
--Explain the connection between a US branch mint opening in California and the west coasts of South America and Central America.
--Describe what made it even more challenging to avoid the desert.
--On what did their existence depend on? Explain how/why that could have been the case.
--Define "vexation" and give an example of one he may have encountered.
--Does the "mishap on the way to Sacramento" add value to this account? Why or why not? Why do you think Shufelt recorded those events?

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