1824: growing up on America's southwest frontier

This "American Girl" series book is actually about New Mexico, not California, but the illustrations show customs and life on a rancho that was common to both areas. I will need to have my students disregard the architectural "Pueblo" design of the buildings in this book (or perhaps contrast the architecture with the typical California adobe). However, the "Rhythm of Life " chapter includes information about religion, medicine, and health (with a gruesome picture of someone infected with smallpox),and courtship and marriage which were applicable to California. The "Links to Spain and Mexico" chapter includes a great section on trade goods from China, Spain, and Mexico. Because the illustrations are so large and vivid, I plan on sharing them with my students when I present the "Hide and Tallow" section of my curriculum. ( )

This is both about New Mexico and about Mexico in 1824. New Mexico was, at the time, part of Mexico, and Mexican culture dominated New Mexico. We learn every aspect of life in New Mexico, what things were like in Mexico City, and how becoming part of America later would eventually change things in New Mexico. ( )