Hannah+Grace+Barnard-+Land

//ClassWorks 3//
 * ** Source 1: Paul Cameron, Nov 27th, 1844 **
 * S ** – In the letter, Paul Cameron is negotiating buying land in Alabama from Col. Armistead.


 * C- ** November 27, 1884. Handwritten letter.


 * I- ** Paul Cameron is handing most family business in place of his father-in-law. It seems that the Cameron’s are searching to expand their plantations.


 * M ** - Why is the seller willing to be paid in “Charleston checks”? Why is he selling his land to begin with? ||
 * ** Source 2: Paul Cameron, Jan 4th, 1845 **
 * S ** - Paul Cameron is writing to Duncan Cameron, describing the purchase of another plantation in Alabama. He has sent multiple previous letters, telling his father about their slave Edmund.


 * C ** - January 4, 1845. Handwritten letter from Alabama.


 * I ** - Paul continues to handle much of the family business. He is working away from his family while purchasing new land.


 * M- ** Why is Paul carrying most of the expansion workload and Duncan remaining in NC? Was Edmund a particularly special slave to the Cameron family? ||
 * ** Source 3: Mr. Ogden, Dec 4th, 1847 **
 * S ** - Mr. Ogden writes a letter to Duncan Cameron, informing him of the high-demand property that is for sale in Louisiana. Ogden is reaching out to Duncan Cameron as a follow-up from Paul Cameron’s inquiry and visit years previous.


 * C ** - December 4, 1847. Handwritten letter from New Orleans.


 * I ** - Mr. Cameron and his son are well-known businessmen throughout the South.


 * M- ** Why does Mr. Ogden reach out to Cameron Sr., rather than Paul, who has been the businessman traveling and making the initial connections? ||
 * ** Source 4: Kenneth Rayner, Dec 18th, 1847 **
 * S- ** Kenneth Rayner is traveling south to check on his land and properties. The letter is written to Mr. Duncan Cameron to propose an financial loan, on the grounds that it would gain interest over time. Mr. Rayner wishes to purchase more land near his existing Arkansas plantation.


 * C- ** December 18, 1847. Handwritten letter sent from Grand Lake, Arkansas.


 * I- ** Mr. Rayner is less successful than the Cameron (which it can be assumed most families are) and approaches his business affairs in a more hands-on way. In his travels, Mr. Rayner grows the desire to expand on his existing plantation in Arkansas and is prompted to write Mr. Cameron, requesting assistance in the purchase.


 * M- ** How did Cameron and Rayner begin their business relationship? Why did Rayner take so many forms of transportation on his trip while checking on properties? ||
 * ** Source 5: Mr. Ogden, Dec 28th, 1847 **
 * S- ** Mr. Ogden is writing to Duncan Cameron, describing his properties for purchase in Louisiana. He believes the Cameron’s may be interested in the purchase.


 * C- ** December 28, 1847. Handwritten letter sent from New Orleans to Raleigh.


 * I- ** Mr. Cameron wants to expand his plantation empire even further. It seems as if Mr. Ogden is eager to do business with Cameron over the other men who are interested.

From a series of letters ranging from late 1844 to late 1847, we can conclude that the Cameron family of North Carolina was on the pursuit of purchasing land in various states across the South. Apparent from the letters from different landowners, the Cameron’s were well-known in their business. || //Reflection// SCIM-C is a historical inquiry tool I was surprised to find myself enjoying using. Based on three of my pedagogical beliefs that the teacher is a facilitator of learning inside the classroom, that a well-prepared teacher can differentiate material for various ability levels, and that history is up to individual interpretation, the SCIM-C model has great potential in my future classroom. SCIM-C allows me to put learning in the hands of my students through their independent research, letting me facilitate instruction but ultimately letting students determine what they take away. Furthermore, this method of historical inquiry can be easily scaffolded depending on the learning level of students. For this reason, SCIM-C is malleable enough to reach students at multiple achievement levels. Lastly, SCIM-C places history in the hands of the learners. They are given historical evidence through primary sources; the conclusions and opinions students form are purely from their own interpretation of the sources. Hence, history truly is up to interpretation.
 * M- ** Considering the great deals Cameron got on other property investments, will he be willing to pay $160,000 for the whole property? ||
 * ** Corroboration: **