Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
Wild, Wild West
Voices of the West - African American Pioneers

Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
Black History and Blacks in U.S. History


Voices of the West - African American Pioneers
Print Voices of the West - African American Pioneers Reading Comprehension with Fifth Grade Work

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Print Voices of the West - African American Pioneers Reading Comprehension

Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 5 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.8

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    cattle-driving, wranglers, ex-slaves, helping, frequently, all-black, rails, mines, violent, tended, slavery, alongside, available, tribe, freedom, traveled
     content words:    Old West, American West, African American, African Americans, Native Americans, Many Indian, Other African American, Gold Rush, Alvin Coffey, Daniel Rogers


Voices of the West - African American Pioneers
By Trista L. Pollard
  

1     The Old West was a magical time in America. Gold was discovered in California. More land was available for our growing country. Iron horses were built to travel the rails coast to coast. Slavery was ending in the South. Pioneers traveled to the West during the 1830's and early 1900's. They were searching for open land. These pioneers helped to settle the American West. Their voices helped to write the history of the West. Some of these voices were from African American pioneers.
 
2     African Americans came west during the 1830's through the early 1900's. Some were slave laborers. Others were free men and women laborers. Only a small number of pioneers who moved west had slaves. Masters or owners brought their slaves west to help with their homesteads. Slaves would herd cattle and clear land. They would also grow crops and build log cabins. In the South, some of the slaves cared for expensive horses. In the West, these same slaves would break wild horses for their masters. Breaking a horse meant to train the horse for riding.
 
3     Slaves also communicated with Native Americans. Many Indian tribes lived in the West. Frequently, there were arguments and fights between the pioneers and the Indians. Black slaves would try to talk with their Indian neighbors. Slaves would also help their masters escape violent fights. Some slaves gained their freedom after helping their masters. Other African American slaves escaped to Indian territories. They became part of a tribe and raised families.

Paragraphs 4 to 7:
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Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
             Black History and Blacks in U.S. History


Wild, Wild West
             Wild, Wild West


United States
             United States


    American Government  
 
    Black History and Blacks in U.S. History  
 
    Children in History  
 
    Government Careers  
 
    Hispanic Heritage  
 
    How Can I Help?  
 
 
    Immigration  
 
    National Parks and Monuments  
 
    Native Americans  
 
    Presidents of the United States  
 
    Women's History  
 


United States History
    A Nation Divided
(1840-1861)
 
 
    A New Nation
(1776-1830)
 
 
    After the Civil War
(1865-1870)
 
 
    American Revolution  
 
    Cold War
(1947-1991)
 
 
    Colonial America (1492-1776)  
 
    Lewis and Clark
(1804-1806)
 
 
    Pearl Harbor  
 
    Spanish American War (1898)  
 
    The 1890's  
 
    The 1900's  
 
    The 1910's  
 
    The 1920's  
 
    The 1930's  
 
 
    The 1940's  
 
    The 1950's  
 
    The 1960's  
 
    The 1970's  
 
    The 1980's  
 
    The 1990's  
 
    The 2000's  
 
    The Civil War
(1861-1865)
 
 
    The Great Depression
(1929-1945)
 
 
    The United States Grows
(1865-1900)
 
 
    The War of 1812  
 
    Wild, Wild West  
 
    World War I
(1914-1918)
 
 
    World War II  
 


50 States

             Fifty States Theme Unit


Document Based Activities
      Document Based Activities



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