Going to Oregon. The members of the class are gathered at, let us say, Independence, Missouri, making preparations for the trek to the Willamette Valley. What will they need? How will they organize? Are roles differentiated by age, sex, or social class? Will an "expert," a safari guide, be needed? Students prepare by reading Francis Parkman, The Oregon Trail (1872), and are assigned such roles as wagon driver, hunter, scout, cook, mother. Many roles will have several incumbents. Valuable information, including maps, may be found in Herman R. Friis, "The Image of the American West at Mid-Century (1840-1860)," in The Frontier Re-examined, edited by John Francis McDermott (1967). See also Kenneth L. Holmes, Covered Wagon Women: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails, 1840-1890 (1983). Volume 1 covers 1840 to 1849 and has a section on the Donner party. Fine material can be found in John D. Unruh, Jr., The Plains Across: The Overland Emigrants and the Trans-Mississippi West, 1840-60 (1979), and additional help can be obtained from Herbert Eaton, The Overland Trail to California in 1852 (1974), and W. J. Ghent, The Road to Oregon: A Chronicle of the Great Emigrant Trail (1929). Jacqueline Williams, Wagon Wheel Kitchens: Food on the Oregon Trail (1993), will be a help. Have the students each write a one-page summary of what they anticipate their duties to be. Ask some to define those duties in class, and invite the members of the class to comment.

The joint resolution that admitted Texas to the Union in 1845 was successful. A treaty requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate probably would not have been. Have four students prepare to debate the admission of Texas in 1845, two on each side. Organize the remaining students in the class so that they represent different geographic regions, different social classes, different trades and occupations. Each student will prepare one or two questions, in writing, for the four debaters--questions that fairly represent the views of his or her assigned "constituency." The objective for the students will be to see the relationships between the political decision and the complexity of life roles. The text provides basic information, and the instructor will be ready to raise questions about congressional motivation where student alertness may falter.

James K. Polk's policies in regard to Texas, New Mexico, California, and Oregon were bold. But were they wise? Give students a choice of three questions: Were the instructions given to John Slidell good policy? Was the demand for 54 40 a reasonable demand--or a wise one? Was the positioning of American troops south of the Nueces River a good decision? Have each student choose one of the three questions and prepare, in writing, a page of advice for President Polk. The instructor can orchestrate a discussion on the basis of these brief statements from students. In addition to considering the success of President Polk's policies, students will learn more about dealing with problems of foresight and hindsight. For an additional ingredient, consider introducing some points from Gene M. Brack, Mexico Views Manifest Destiny (1976).