THE MIDWEST Miss Nolan Social Studies

A Route To The Sea  Great Lakes Largest freshwater lakes in the world  Formed by glaciers that melted after the Ice Age  Connecting to the World Links the Midwest with the rest of the world  Through waterways, canals, and locks  Lock-allows water level to be adjusted in canals or rivers St. Lawrence Seaway  Connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean

Land or Water  Is it better to transport goods by sea or land? Barges  Help transport goods by water  Able to move large objects long distances for CHEAP  Use less fuel and less maintenance  Bad points  SLOW  No door-to-door service!!! St. Louis, Missouri  Busiest port city Freight Trains  Carry much heavier loads than trucks  Faster speeds  Transcontinental Railroad

Badlands  Great Plains Badlands, SD Among the most beautiful landscapes in the U.S.  Carved out by rain, wind, rivers  Badlands National Park Dinosaur fossils are still being uncovered  Dinosaur fossils Home to many unique animals  Prairie dogs, porcupines, reptiles,  Along the prairie lives bison

Bountiful Farms  World’s most important agriculture region Rich soil, warm summers, plenty of rainfall  Central Plains “Corn Belt”: known for its corn harvest  Soybeans are alternated in to help enrich the soil  Great Plains Sunflowers grow wild

More Agriculture  Dairy Wisconsin is known for its milk and cheese production  “Cheese Heads”  Cattle Leading hog producer  Ham and pork Top quality beef

Ojibwa  1641 Duluth,Minnesota  Covered in thick forests  Excellent for hunting  Fishing was their main source of food  Traveled far to gather food  Canoes were their main source of transportation Fur Trade  Changed their culture forever  French began trading with them  Furs for cloth, gun, and knives

Trading Posts  Set up alongside forts in the Midwest Tools for fur were exchanged  Ojibwa Tribes Brought furs to trade for tools  Some settled at the forts because of the rich soil  Sell some of their extra crops  Many of these trading posts grew into major MW cities

Hub of the Nation  Center of Activity St. Louis Reason of Growth: Steamboats  Railroads Transcontinental railroad was built   Crossed the entire country  Automobiles 1900’s Interstate highway system (superhighways)