autrynationalcenter.org
Pre-Visit lan
Lesson P
Trade
Between
East and West
J. Disturnell, Map of California, New Mexico and Adjacent Countries Showing the Gold Regions, 1849. Paper.
Museum of the American West Collection, Autry National Center. 90.253.284
Introduction
This lesson uses map activities to frame the westward
movement by land and by sea. Students are asked to examine
the benefits and costs of each form of travel to decide which
one they would have preferred. Information about the two
types of travel is included in the body of the lesson plan.
The lesson also concentrates on trade. Groups needed to
trade with one another to receive all of the goods they
desired. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in
1821, a trade network developed between Mexico and the
United States. Trade is also important in that it affects
students’ daily lives and is an important economic concept.
Objectives
Students will:
• Use a map to locate the absolute and relative locations of California and New York
• Learn why people traveled to California and how they got there
• Learn about the trade system that developed between California and New York
• Use math to solve word problems
Learners
This lesson is designed for upper-elementary-grade students, with suggestions for
adapting it for younger and older grades. The main themes are anchored in history
and social studies, but the lesson also involves language arts, writing, and math.
Materials
• A map of the United States with longitude and latitude lines
• Map of overland and sea routes to California
• Barter and Trade worksheet
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Autry National Center | Trade Between East and West
Content Standards
History–Social Science
1.4 — Students compare and contrast everyday life in different times and places
around the world and recognize that some aspects of people, places, and things
change over time while others stay the same.
1.6 — Students understand basic economic concepts and the role of individual
choice in a free-market economy.
2.1 — Students differentiate between things that happened long ago and things
that happened yesterday.
2.2 — Students demonstrate map skills by describing the absolute and relative
locations of people, places, and environments.
2.4 — Students understand basic economic concepts and their individual roles in
the economy and demonstrate basic economic reasoning skills.
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Autry National Center | Trade Between East and West
Map Activity
Have students locate California and New York on a map. Ask them:
• What is the latitude and longitude of each?
• How far apart are they?
• Which coasts are they on?
• Which oceans meet each state?
• Which direction do you have to travel to get from New York to California?
• How about from California to New York?
After establishing the location and distance between California and New York,
ask your students:
• How did people get from New York to California in 1850?
• What means of transportation were available?
• Which one was the fastest? The cheapest? The most expensive?
• How would they want to travel? Why?
• How do people move about the country now?
• What forms of transportation are available today?
• How do you think people will get from one side of the country to
the other in the future?
People traveled to California by land and by sea. Many traveled by covered wagons
on overland routes. It could take 4-6months to make the overland trip. It was a long
trip, but it was cheaper than sea travel. We may picture a lone wagon on the trail,
but it most likely looked like rush hour on a freeway. Over 20,000 people took the
Overland Trail to California in 1849. Overland travelers reported they could see
wagons for miles ahead of them and behind.
Overland travelers could only travel between May and July, when there was enough
grass for their oxen, but before the snows fell in the Rocky Mountains. Sometimes
they brought more things than their animals could carry and they had to leave some
things along the trail. Often the trip took longer than expected and they found they
had not packed enough, and they ran out of food. Animals died from lack of food
and water. Wagons broke down. Sicknesses like cholera and dysentery were also
problems.
• Why did travelers choose this time of year?
• What are some of the problems overland travelers faced?
• What do you think they packed? What did they leave behind?
• What would you pack for a 4-6 month trip?
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Autry National Center | Trade Between East and West
Sea travel was another option. There were two major sea routes from the Eastern
United States. Most Americans who lived in the eastern part of the country chose to
use a sea route instead of overland trails. Some chose the route around Cape Horn.
Point out that route on the map. It was a long trip that could take 8 months. Some
wanted to go by ship, but wanted a faster route. They chose to go through Panama.
This was supposed to be a five-week trip but that was often not the case. Once
travelers made it to Panama, they still needed to find a ship to take them the rest
of the way to California. Sometimes ships were available and sometimes they had
to wait weeks or months before a ship arrived.
• Why do you think travelers would choose to go by ship?
• Can you imagine what it would be like to be stuck on a ship for months at a time?
• What kinds of things do you think the travelers did so they wouldn’t be bored?
• What did they bring with them?
• Were these things different than what the overland travelers brought?
Barter and Trade Activity
Use these questions to introduce the trade component of the lesson:
• What if I had something that you wanted and you had something that I wanted?
• What could we do?
• Would we have to use money?
Have students come up with a definition for barter.
When Spain controlled Mexico, they did not allow the people in Alta California to
trade with any outside nations or people. Meaning that anytime a person in
California wanted an item, say fabric, they would have to wait to get the materials
from Mexico City, over 1,555 miles away. It could take many months to receive any
shipments, and many were lost along the way.
In 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain. The new government welcomed
trade with the United States and other nations. The newly formed rancheros were
producing great amounts of hide and tallow from the cattle they raised. Used to
make candles and leather products, these materials were in great demand on the
east coast of the United States. The people in Alta California needed clothes, fabric,
spices, and jewelry. A thriving barter system developed between the two countries.
Trade with the United States began the process of economic detachment of
California from central Mexico. Increased trade led to increased demand for consumer goods, and therefore, greater dependence on the United States as the primary
source of supply.
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Autry National Center | Trade Between East and West
Math Questions
• If you received 20 pounds of tallow worth 5 cents a pound,
how much is the tallow worth?
• If you used the tallow to make 40 candles that are worth 10 cents a piece,
how much are all of your candles worth?
• Taking how much your candles are worth and subtracting how much
you spent for the tallow, how much profit did you make on your candles?
Have students pair off to complete the Barter and Trade worksheet. One student
will be the rancher who has 4 hides and 5 pounds of tallow to trade. The merchant,
played by the second student, has a list of items available for trade. The rancher
will have to convince the merchant to buy as many hides and tallow as possible, so
that s/he can trade for more goods.
Credits & References
For overland trail maps:
http://overlandtrails.lib.byu.edu/trailmap.html
For sea routes:
http://pbskids.org/wayback/goldrush/journey_capehorn.html
To find a copy of the Barter & Trade worksheet and other resources, visit:
www.nps.gov/samo/.CULTPDF/PDF/BARGIN.pdf
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Autry National Center | Trade Between East and West
Barter and Trade
Roles
Ranchers
• Hides are worth $2 per hide.
Merchants
• You have several items to trade.
• Tallow is worth 5¢ a pound.
• You have 4 hides and
5 pounds of tallow for trade.
Task
Merchants: You must decide how many hides and how much tallow
to buy. Fill in the number wanted and calculate a total.
Ranchers: You know how much the hides and tallow are worth. You
can look at the merchant’s list of objects and choose the objects you
want. Do you want more than you can afford? Try bartering with the
merchant to get the best deal.
Adapted from:
National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains, A Hard Bargain: Bartering Ranchero-style.
Autry National Center | Trade Between East and West
Items for Merchants
Number Wanted
Value Per Item
Hides
$2.00
Tallow
$.05
Total Value
TOTAL AMOUNT
Items for Ranchers
Number Wanted
Value Per Item
TOTAL AMOUNT
Do you have any money left over?
Autry National Center | Trade Between East and West
Total Value
Merchant Goods
Clothing
Shirt . . . . . . . . . $.50
Pants . . . . . . . . . $.50
Jacket . . . . . . . $1.00
Hat . . . . . . . . . . $.75
Boots . . . . . . . . $1.00
Shoes . . . . . . . . $.75
Fabric by the yard
Cotton . . . . . . . . $.10
Silk . . . . . . . . . . $.25
Velvet . . . . . . . . $.25
Hair Items
Comb . . . . . . . . . $.05
Brush . . . . . . . . . $.10
Mirror . . . . . . . . $.10
Jewelry
Silver Pin . . . . . . $.60
Gold Ring . . . . . . $.75
Earrings . . . . . . . $.25
Toys
Ball . . . . . . . . . . $.20
Doll . . . . . . . . . . $.60
Music box . . . . . $.60
Food Items
Autry National Center | Trade Between East and West
Cinnamon . . . . .
Licorice . . . . . . .
Chocolate . . . . .
Peppermint . . . .
$.10
$.05
$.10
$.05