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
West to Freedom - African American Pioneers

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

West to Freedom - African American Pioneers
Print West to Freedom - African American Pioneers Reading Comprehension with Sixth Grade Work

Print West to Freedom - African American Pioneers Reading Comprehension

Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 7
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   6.34

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    cowhand, wranglers, mines, mining, violent, tended, public, gain, skilled, therefore, available, railroad, traveled, however, early, number
     content words:    Old West, United States, New Mexico, African American, African Americans, Native Americans, Gold Rush, Alvin Coffey, Daniel Rogers, United States Homestead Act

West to Freedom - African American Pioneers
By Trista L. Pollard 		  
1     The voice of the Old West had many faces. During the 1840's through the early 1900's cowboys and pioneers settled the western United States. Our country was almost 100 years old. Settlers were leaving their homes to search for open land and a new life in the west. Slavery was coming to an end in the south and other territories. Our country was growing, moving, and changing.
 
2     Cowboys were men who worked on cattle ranches. They tended the cattle and horses. They herded cattle along the dusty trails of the west to other states and territories. These trails stretched through Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Montana. Imagine trying to guide hundreds of cows and horses through five states. A cowboy or cowhand had to keep large herds of cattle together. These are the cowboys you hear about in books and movies. However, we hear very little about African American cowboys.
 
3     African Americans moved west during the 1830's and 1840's. These pioneers came as slave laborers and free men and women laborers. They traveled west with their masters to herd cattle and clear land. In the south, these slaves took care of expensive horses. Therefore, they would break wild horses in the west. This allowed their masters to ride the horses without getting hurt. Slaves also built log cabins and grew crops. They knew how to talk to Native Americans in the area. This skill was very important. Often, there were violent fights between slave owners and the Indians. The slaves would help their masters survive these fights. Some slaves gained their freedom after saving their masters' lives. There were also slaves who escaped into Indian territories. They would stay with the tribes. They married and raised children within these communities.

Paragraphs 4 to 6:
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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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