tlp_09_dlafontana

=Teacher Lesson Page=

Dave LaFontana, Chelsea High School
Dave's Primary Source Page

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Essential Question:
How did immigration affect American conceptions of "WE THE PEOPLE"?

Standard(s):
US 1.28b Causes and impact of the wave of immigration from N. Europe to America in the 1840-1850s

Guiding Question:
Who lived in Chelsea 150 years ago? What did they do for work? Where did they live?

Title:
"Chelsea in 1860: Discovering Our Past Through Primary Sources"

Introduction:
The city of Chelsea, MA has been for decades a city of immigrants. For as long as it has been a city, Chelsea has been the first stop for thousands of people just arriving in the United States, some refugees from war and famine, others simply looking for a better life. According to the 2000 U.S. census, Chelsea has a total population of 32,792. Of these people, 36 percent of are foreign born, 48 percent are Latino, and 58 percent speak a language other than English at home.

Your project is to learn what the City of Chelsea looked like 150 years ago. You will learn about our city and the people who lived here in the year 1860. How many residents were immigrants? Where were they from? What did they do for work? What, if any, industries were in Chelsea?

In this lesson, you will:
 * Interpret primary sources
 * Analyze census data
 * Learn about the people who lived in Chelsea 150 years ago.
 * better understand the experience of immigrants in Chelsea 150 years ago.

Task:
Imagine that it is 1860 and you are a newspaper reporter for an Irish newspaper in New York City or Halifax, Nova Scotia (both cities were major points of entry for newly arrived immigrants from Ireland during this time). You have recently been assigned to write a piece on Chelsea, Massachusetts and the Irish immigrants who live there. You will research the city of Chelsea in 1860 by looking at a variety of printed materials particularly census data, but also newspaper articles, photographs, advertisements, and maps. These documents will help you understand the lives of the people and businesses that called Chelsea home. Who lived in Chelsea 150 years ago? What did they do for work? Where did they live? What industries were in Chelsea? What type of work was available here at this time?

Lesson Process:
This lesson is split into four classes:

**//__Day 1: Images of Chelsea (1860 and Today)__//**
You will analyze photographs, newspaper articles, and engravings showing different views of Chelsea from the 1860s. When analyzing the photographs we will also compare and contrast them to modern photos of the same parts of town. You will also study maps of Chelsea from 1847, 1867, 1898, and today.

In analyzing the photographs, newspaper articles, and engravings, you will use the SIGHT method.

__**S**can__ for important details: __**I**dentify__ the conflict or tension: __**G**uess__ the creator's intent or message: __**H**ear__ the voices: __**T**alk__ or write about your observations:
 * SIGHT:**

You will analyze the maps using the following questions:
 * 1) How did people get around? What types of transportation are clear on the map?
 * 2) How is the map different than the map today?
 * 3) What other observations can you make about this map? Take at least three minutes to write three observations.

You will analyze the 1860 federal census data by looking at parts of the full census record. The Chelsea census data of 1860 consisted of 335 pages of information. you will be able to read copies of the original scanned reports (a .jpg of page one is available on the primary sources page, but all 335 will be printed on paper and available for review during the project). Each student will analyze 20 pages of the record using the following questions:
 * //__Days 2 and 3: Chelsea, Massachusetts 1860 Census Data__//**
 * 1) How many people were born in Massachusetts? How many were born in a different state? Tally the numbers by state.
 * 2) How many residents were white? How many were black? How many were mulatto? Make a list of percentages.
 * 3) How many people were foreign born immigrants? Where were they born? Tally the numbers by country.
 * 4) What did people do for work? List the most common occupations.
 * 5) What did the immigrants in particular do for work? List the most common occupations.


 * __//Day 4: Other Primary Sources//__**
 * 1) Describe the document. What was its purpose?
 * 2) List two things the document tells you about life in Chelsea in the mid-19th century.
 * 3) What title would you give this document?

Conclusion:
The Irish experience in 19th century America is similar in many ways to the Latin American experience of the past 30 years. The Irish faced hardships and deep prejudices, but with their sheer numbers (numbers comparable to Latin American immigration today) they changed the face of America. As these immigrants and their children assimilated into life in America, their experiences changed and one hundred years after the 1860 census, the United States elected an Irish-American president.
 * //For final wrap-up discussion on Day 4://**

Assessment:
Your assessment is to write a newspaper article for an 1860's Irish newspaper in Halifax, NS or New York City about the Irish experience in Chelsea MA.

Ancestry.com [|www.olgp.net/chs/] NewEnglandAncestors.org

(//See Dave's Primary Source page for larger images of the following Primary Sources//)
 * PRIMARY SOURCES**

Ballou Pictorial, June 14, 1856













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