Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Executions

In 1692, the two girls, who became strangely ill, were Puritan girls. They shook and fell several times. They claimed that three women cast a spell on them. One was a slave named Tituba, who reluctantly yelled that there were other witches.  Eventually, she had to confess to seeing the devil and that there were other witches in the village. Because people were easily frightened, the girls accused the women of witchcraft. Twenty-four people were put to death for being witches. This was a sad time in America, but it helped change laws. Now people, who are accused of crimes, are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Salem executions were the last accused witches that we know of.

        

Dogs

Dogs

To cute to be true

I love dogs. They are so cute that I could faint. There are so many breeds I can't even count. They are just so adorable. I have a dog named Taco and he is so cute. Boston,who is my friend, also has a dog named Tod and he is very fluffy. My dog does very funny things sometimes. Once while I was at a sleepover,  Taco slept on my bed. I love dogs so much. My  favorite kind of dog is a Yorkie. I LOVE DOGS!!

The Journey to the New World

The Journey to the New World

In 1620 John Howland excitedly boarded the Mayflower with a group of men wanted to be able to worship God freely. They headed to America. During the trip there was a terrible storm. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed, wind roared, and massive waves rocked the boat. The pilgrims stayed below in the gun deck. It was crowded and they were cold, wet, and scared.

John did not like being cooped up so he went to the upper deck. Without warning the ship rolled and John fell into the ocean. As he fell he grabbed a hanging rope. As he dangled over the ocean, he screamed for help. Luckily the sailors had seen what had happened. He was able grab a boat hook. Goodman John was relived and grateful to be on land. When he returned his friends were happy that he was safe. Then they knew that their journey to the new world would be a difficult one.   

Jamestown

Jamestown

In 1607, gentlemen sailed to the new world hoping to find riches. They found a town in Virginia and named it James town after king James. The land was a swampy wilderness. The lazy men did not want to work. Within a few months half the men had died. Powerfully John Smith, who was in control, made a wise rule: "who shall not work will not eat". They never found gold but they found tobacco. They sold it to England by the ton. Jamestown is now famous for being the first permanent English settlement.

  

Europe Meets America

Europe meets America

Christopher Columbus was not the first to cross the Atlantic to reach America. When he  accidentally landed in 1492, the discovery made explorers sail to search for gold. This changed the land forever. Many explorers invaded the the land with greed and treated the natives cruelly. Some believed a legend about a city of gold in El,Dorado. Others believed there was a magical  fountain of youth. The Spanish eventually claimed most of the southwestern U.S.A . Over time, Native Americans all over were being pushed off their continent by Europeans.    

Mark Twain

Mark Twain

Mark Twain was born in 1835 in Missouri. His dad died when he was 12. When he was 21, he wrote "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". He made thousands of writings and became a famous writer. He has an
awesome mustache.  His real name was Samuel Clemens. In 1862, he became a reporter. He had three dogs: I know, You know, and Don't know. He also had three cats: Flush, Dickens, and Willy. Once he wrote a story called, "Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog". He smoked alot. Once he said, "If you cant smoke in heaven, I shall not go". In 1870, he got married to Livy. Together, they had four children. In 1904, Livy Died. Mark Twain died April 21, 1910 at the age of 74. He was buried in Elmira, New York.

Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln 

Lincoln was born in Kentucky 1809. When Lincoln was just 7 he wanted to go to school. He wanted to learn how to read and write although his parents didn't know how. He was 9 years old when his mother died. When he was 21 he left his family and built a house in Illinois. He studied to be a lawyer. Lincoln married a women named Mary when he was 33. They had four boys: Robert, Edward, William, and Tad. Before the elections Lincoln got a letter from a girl saying he should grow a beard. He did grow a beard and got elected in 1861. lots of states wanted to leave the U.S. so Lincoln had to find a General and he found one named Grant. After 2 years of fighting Lincoln  had won! He had freed some of slaves. A week later he and his family went to a theater. After an hour a man named booth shot Lincoln in the back of  his head. He died the next morning.