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July 20, 1841
Dear Family,

I have settled on the coast of California, so I guess I am now a settler. Luckily I have a home near an American Indian reservation so I can trade, near a river so I don't have to buy food and water. The land is perfect for growing crops, so I can start ranching too!
I am currently a shopkeeper and my store is down the road. There are several people coming to my shop recently getting mining gear. I heard there is a gold rush a few miles away from here, but I'm not going to risk my life for money! I'm already making enough from the people going down there!
There is also a new railroad under construction! Maybe I could take a train to Arkansas and visit you guys when it's finished!
Sincerely, Allie

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July 20th 1841

Dear family,

I have been settling in California and it is very different being a settler. Sometimes I think of traveling as an adventure! Although most of the time it is very ruff. There is a disease called Cholera and it has been killing some of my partners. There is also very harsh weather coming up ahead. I had to choose something to do to make money so I chose ranching. It is very hard but also relaxing.

Here in California there is currently a gold rush. That is why everyone has come here. I've heard that some people have found loads of gold! Also people are going to have to use horses to travel anymore! There is currently a thing called a railroad under construction. You can move stuff and more yourself on it!

While working some settlers from other reservations have come to me to ask if they could trade for some of my crops. Business has been going very well for me lately. I have been trading in many crops.

Anyways, I hope you have a great day. Remember don't miss me too much! Love you, bye!

Love,
Ian Carmody

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July 20,1841

Dear family,

I have settled in Los Angeles, Californa . I told you I would become a settler! Here in Californa I am working as a railroad construction worker I tried ranching but it was to hard especialy here in the desert.I also found mining pretty diffucult plus I don't wan't a giant boulder to knock my out.  The work is very tiresome but I make a decent profit. So far I have found a few nice settlers near me they have been supplying me with crops. I while working on my reservation some settlers have been asking if they wanted to trade crops  with them so I did I gave them some a few corn and some other crops. I have found that many people have been coming here to get gold in some type of "gold rush" but all I see is a bunch of dry desert. The trail here was very hard and difficult with many hardships along the way. I saw many tragic deaths along the trail. Lots of people died due to the cholera disease it killed maybe over a thousand people. Weather was also one hardship we faced a few tornadoes and blizzards hit us along the way. Once we   got to the west we  all gathered our weapons and hunted we then started a thriving economy. In the present day cattle drives are slowly coming to a close due to the fast coming railroads but it will be fine for me because I'm not a cowboy I wonder what there going to do after the cattle drives end.

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July 20, 1841

Dear family,

I have settled with many other settlers here in Los Angeles, California. I have moved here because I heard something about a "gold rush." People have found a lot of gold! Many people have found gold and became really rich. there is a sickness going around though, it's called Cholera. You might think that being a settler is easy but actually it's not. There are blizzards, tornadoes, and the sickness I was talking about, Cholera.
Anyway, I have some good news to share about here in the West! There is some construction, there are ranches being built. I am super happy because this would mean that I would get to start ranching soon!
Some other settlers have told me that there are reservations. That is for Native Americans who have not died in war.

I hope to see you someday!

Love,
Eliza Goldin

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Dear Family,

I have settled in California and so far life is pretty good. That means I am a settler! Although getting here was a mess. There was bad weather and a disease called Cholera. I am currently working as a farmer selling crops. Today, my customers were mostly people ranching and construction workers building a huge railroad.

There is a gold rush around where I am and so far I have found some of that gold! I'm so excited!

The work has been good lately, I have been going to other settlers' reservations and giving them crops that I have farmed.

I hope you're having a great time back in Maine, and I miss you guys.

Love Grant

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Dear Mother and Father,

I've settled in Los Angeles, California.
You know, it sure feels weird becoming a settler, and leaving your old life behind, especially since the main reason I've moved here is because there's news of there being this thing called a "gold rush," where people say they've found gold and struck it rich!
Turns out, a lot of people are actually coming here to find that gold as well. Kind of on the brighter side of that though, at least for me, would be the fact that there's been this weird illness that a lot of them have been catching, I'm pretty sure it's called Cholera.
Some more "good news" would be that I've a ranch under construction! I can't wait for that to be finished, and I will finally be able to start ranching!
I've heard from some of the other settlers that some people have been driving out some local tribes, and shoving them into reservations. That just sounds ruthless, don't you think?
Anyways, I'd better get back to work. I hope I'll get to see you again someday!

Love,
Chelsea Unger.

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July 20, 1841
Dear Mom,

I have settled in Los Angeles, where many other settlers traveled hard to get here. Im very proud of myself for traveling long distances to get where I am now, but let me tell you it wasn't an easy journey. In 1837, I had to pack myself and go because my state was entering an economic depression. Traveling was hard because some people ran out of supplies, and many settlers died from a disease called Cholera it was a big killer! Another hard path was weather their were tornadoes, blizzards, and extreme temperatures, but yet people kept heading West. When I got here their were not much job options, so I got a job as a rancher, ranching is hard its a lot of work. There was a gold rush so everybody kept settling. I remember on the trail when Native Americans were at war, the ones that were alive got moved to reservations. One thing that I forgot to mention is that there's a lot of construction going on but it doesn't really bother me. All I have to say is that Im safe now. Miss you!  Love your daughter,
Amelia.

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July 20, 1841

Dear Mother and Father,

I have settled in Los Angeles. I am working as a farmer. People are saying there is a gold rush in California. So far I have found no gold, but I am hoping that I will. It was a big struggle getting here to Los Angeles because, there were a lot of storms and blizzards. Also we were not allowed to travel by ourselves, so I had to travel with some other settlers. But I am pretty safe now. The only thing is that there is a lot of construction going on right now. Oh! I forgot to mention, We passed by a disease when we were traveling, sadly it killed a lot of settlers, but i'm okay. On our farm we also are ranching. I am just glad that I made it to my reservation, Los Angeles. Well, I have to go now, I miss you a lot.

Love, Your daughter, Talia Russo

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July 20, 1841

Dear Mother and Father,
I have settled in Oregon Country. I am working as a construction worker. So far, I have found gold from digging the layout of the Boom Town. This gold came from a gold rush that happened a few years back. The work is hard here although lots of people like Ranching.  other settlers and i have faced many challenges on the journey such as, tornadoes, blizzards and extreme temperatures. But the most dangerous one was a disease called Cholera. I did not get it but many people did and died on the journey including children. On the journey we passed by some Indian reservations. Recently the construction workers including me have started working on a railroad we are hoping that it will be more than 2,000 miles long. I like life in the west but, i miss home and i miss you guys hope i see you soon.

Love,
Lukas Janiczek

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July 20,1841

Dear Family,

I have settled in the West. I am working as a miner. So far, I have found gold and silver, but I never touched it, if I touched it or kept it, I would have got hurt or even killed. There was also a goldrush a carpenter struck gold everybody was coming over. Being a settler is not as easy as it looks, you have to experience blizzards, tornadoes, and a sickness called Cholera. When we finally got to the West, we decided to go to have a job as ranching, farm, and mine. By 1890, most  Native Americans who  had not died in conflicts were moved to reservations. There also came out a railroad. It was still under construction. The work is very hard, but it is starting to get better, it will be a magnificent civilization here.

Love,
Demetra Douvikas

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July 20, 1841

Dear Mother and Father,

I have just settled in California,Los Angles. The journey here was quite difficult. There were lots of challenges. Lots of people died because of running out of supplies,dying from Cholera, and the harsh weather conditions. But luckily i'm safe and sound. Sadly lots of other settlers did not make it to their reservations.

Everyone is here because of the gold rush. Recently I have been working as a rancher. Ranching is harder than I expected. Keeping all the cattle together, it's handwork.

I was wondering if maybe soon u could come visit me here in the West. They are constructing a railroad. So it will be easier  to get from place to place! Isn't that clever? Anyway I have to get back to work. Come visit me in the West soon!

Your Daughter, Liv

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July 20, 1870

Dear Family,

I settled in Los Angeles. There were many difficulties on my journey here such as Chorea disease, weather such as Tornadoes, and Blizzards, and running out of supplies. But when I was in Los Angeles there was a gold rush. Settlers from all of the U.S came to get rich. A lot of settlers did not make it to their reservation. When I was in Los Angeles ranching and farming was really hard to do because it was dry there so I could not plant anything. So I moved to A railroad construction site. In 1869 we completed the railroad. It was 2,000 miles long. We laid almost the entire track out by hand. I have started a new life in Portland.

Love,
Nolan Hollis.

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July 20, 1841

Dear Mom and Dad,

I have settled in Los Angeles. I am a settler working as a railroad constructor. I make a lot of good money just by constructing railroads. So far, I have found some gold in the gold rush in California. The work is really stressful. I have had many challenges and struggles along the whole way. Before heading West, I've heard many people say that not everybody makes it the whole way. That made me almost change my whole decision. But then I thought that I wouldn't make it where I am right now because of the economic depression. So on the way here, one of my many struggles was the Cholera disease. That was the scariest problem going there because it took away many people's lives. Another danger was the weather that occurred while on the path. Blizzards, tornados, and extreme temperatures were my constant problems. But, after all that was done, I finally made it. There, I have seen many Native Americans in the Indian War. It was a big catastrophe. The majority died, but the ones that didn't have to go into reservation.     I forgot to tell you, before I took the job for constructing railroads, cattle ranchers offered me a spot in ranching in the fields. There was no way I would've accepted that because they were paying me so low. I wish you guys would've joined me before I left. I really miss you guys and I hope you guys can visit soon.

Love,
Lucas Agho

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July 20, 1841

Dear Mother and Father,
I just reach the west and I am adjusting to life pretty well. I even started Ranching. Also I started to do construction work it pays well but it's hard. The thing is ride here was rather bumpy. We had trouble on the ride here because of thunder Storms and Hurricanes. Also we pasted by a disease that the settlers called Cholera. Many people died from it but I was lucky not to catch it. Most important of all when I got there many Indians and American settlers fought in a war called The Indian War. Many Indians died but the ones that lived moved into reservation. Also just recently the Gold Rush happened. Two people found gold in a mountain but I didn't go to do it. Many people got rich but some got nothing. Anyways I really miss home and hop I can visit soon.

Love, Adrian

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July 20, 1841
Dear Mom and Dad,

The long journey was tough and some other people on our wagon trail died because of Cholera. The most scariest part of our journey was all of the storms and the tornadoes. As we traveled to Sacramento we came across some farms where people from the east were ranching. I still remeber walking along the trail as Native Americans were fighting and as many died and the ones who were alive were moved to reservations.

When I first became a settler in Sacamento I took a construction job helping to build homes, but when I heard news about the gold rush I immediately went searching to become a miner. As I mined I saw other people finding gold and becoming wealthy but I have found little gold. One of my favorite things to do here is taking part in  a community dance. Life was hard here at first but  I have adapted to it.  But I wish you guys could have come to west and started a new life here. I miss you so much.

Love,
Amelia

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July 20, 1841

Dear Cousins,

I have settled in Santa Fe. I am currently working as a Railroad worker at a Railroad industry. The work here is not enjoyable to the slightest, yet I am making quite the profit off of constructing railroads.

When I came with the other 7 settlers, 6 of them caught Cholera and passed away. The last settler with me had fallen out of the wagon train while we were in the mountains in a thunderstorm. Now it is only me and I am making my way towards Sacramento to join the Gold Rush.  On my journey West, I plan to go to Salt lake City and from there I will go to Sacramento.

Also, I have seen many Native American tribes moving to their territory. If the removal keeps going then these guys might have to go into a reservation.

Before I came to Santa Fe, I got an offer to do some ranching for some guys who needed help. Yet, the payment was terrible so I could not say yes to the offer.

Anyway I hope that you are finding jobs and doing great in the East. I hope you write back.

Love,

Henryk

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Dear Mother & Father,

I have settled in Los Angeles. This has been a tough journey but I made it. I have found out that there are lots of difficulties here. There are lots of bad diseases. They also have weather like blizzards,tornadoes, and humid weather. Lots of settlers have brought weapons to protect themselves. Right now in Los Angeles there is a lot of gold rush. Lots of settlers have not made it throughout their journey to Los Angeles, I am lucky I made it. People have not made it to their reservations here. When I was doing Los Angeles ranching I found ranching really hard. There was lots of road construction I thought it would be a better idea to move from place to place. So I can really memorize Los Angeles. I saw how hard people were working in railroad construction. It looked like they made them work until they couldn't even breathe. I never worked for construction after I saw that.
I like my life in Los Angeles. Sometimes there could be some hard times, but ill make it!

Love,
Leslie Martinez

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July 20, 1841

Dear Mom and Dad,

I have setteled in Los Angeles. Now I became a setteler! I am working as a rancher. Ranching here is not easy. So far I have not found perfect freedom but it is better than before. Luckily I made it to my reservation. Anyway here in California there was a gold rush! I found and got some gold! Also getting here to Los Angeles was not easy. First there was the American Civil War, then coming here was very dangerous. We were not alowed to go on the trail by ourselves, instead we had to get in a wagon with some other people. Anyway right now there is a lot of constroction here becasue people are building new homes. I miss you so much!

Love,
Sara Kaczmarek

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1. You are a settler on a frontier.
2. Write a letter to your family back home. Use the correct letter format. Use evidence from the text.
3. Tell them about the challenges you have faced so far.
4. Use these keywords somewhere in the letter: construction, gold rush, ranching, reservation, & settler. Underline/Highlight each word.
5. Add a picture to describe your experience.