Toda Ashley continued presenting on Chapter 5 Section 2. I learned that in 1889 there was a major land giveaway in present day Oklahoma. Within one day over 2 million acres were claimed. I also learned that Oklahoma is called the sooner state because people claimed land sooner then they were supposed to. Next, I learend that the settlers of the plains faced many challenges, they included droughts, floods, fires, blizzards, locust plagues, and occasional raids by outlaws and Native Americans. THey also faced problems with the houses they lived in. They either live in soddies or dugouts. I learned that soddies were made of stacked blocks of praire turf and that it offered little to no air. Dugouts were dug into the side of a hill. I learned that they were warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but they were also homes for snakes, insects, and other pests. They were fireproof, but leaked when it rained. Next, Ashley talked about what the women did in the Plains.I learned that they were outisde with the men planting and harvestingcrops. They also sheared sheep and carded wool for clothers. I learned that they helped carry big buckets with water and canned fruits and vegetable. They were also skilled in doctoring and sponsored churches and schools. I also learned about some new farm equipment that included the steel plow in 1837 by John Deere and in 1847 the reaping machine by Cyrus McCormick. Other inventions included spring tooth harrow, grain drill, barbed wire, and corn binder. I learned that the steel plow cut through the hard praire soils and that the reaping machine cut wheat easily. Then we talked about the Morrill Act. I learned that the Morrill act gave 30,000 acres of public land, the land was then sold, and all of the money went to colleges. The money was used to help finance Ag colleges like Iowa State. I alsolearned that they wanted education in all social classes.
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