Spreading the Word
Instructional Objectives (4th grade)
1. The student will recognize the accomplishments
of Gail Borden and why he was important to Texas.
2. The student will understand how the innovation
of the printing press benefited individuals and society in Texas
during the Republic period.
TEKS
SOCIAL STUDIES History(4.21.A,
4.21.B) The student is expected to identify Gail Borden as an
inventor and newspaper publisher. The student will describe
how technological innovations (printing press) have benefited
society in Texas.
Materials
Getting Ready for the Lesson
Background Information:
1. Gail Borden was born in Norwich, NY on November
9, 1801 and died in Borden, Texas January 11, 1874.
2. He had many diverse accomplishments:
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Founded and operated the Telegraph and
Texas Register from October 10, 1835-June 20, 1837.
-
It was the official communiqué of the
Republic of Texas, which was organized a few months later.
-
It was the first paper in Texas to achieve
a degree of permanence.
-
Early newspapers in Texas were an important
source of information.
-
Problems with the free press came from Santa
Anna and the Mexican army. The paper was preparing for
the April 14, 1836 issue when Santa Anna captured the printer
and threw the press into Buffalo Bayou.
-
Borden would later find a new printing press
in Cincinnati and resume publication in Columbia, Texas.
-
The Congress of the Republic of Texas was
summoned to Columbia in the summer of 1836 as the publication
of the Telegraph and Texas Register resumed.
-
The August 2, 1836 issue of the Telegraph
and Texas Register contained a copy of the Constitution
which not many people had seen until that time.
-
On April 11, 1837, the printing press for
the Telegraph and Texas Register was moved to Houston,
the new capital, on board the steamboat Yellow Stone.
The first issue from Houston was printed May 2.
-
Gail Borden conveyed his interest in the Telegraph
and Texas Register to Jacob W. Cruger on June 20, 1837.
(These facts were paraphrased from the Handbook
of Texas Online)
Preparation of the Learning Environment
Students should work in groups of 3-5.
Each group should have a picture of the Washington Hand Press
from the museum. Some facts about the hand press in the
museum are:
TEACHING PROCEDURE:
Motivation
Explain to the students that although Gail Borden
had many important accomplishments, one of his greatest victories
for Texas came when he kept the press running despite opposition
from Santa Anna. Would it be easy to move this press in a hurry?
Explanation
Have the students read from the resources (Handbook
of Texas Online, excerpts from Gail Borden, Pioneer),
and lead them in a discussion.
1. Why were Gail Borden's efforts as publisher
of the Telegraph and Texas Register his most important
contributions to the establishment of the new government of Texas?
(He secured free press in Texas despite opposition from Santa
Anna.)
2. How did his newspaper help to establish the
Republic? (got word to the people of events such as the Alamo
that would have taken a very long time by word of mouth (excerpt:
"Hard at Work"), enabled the general public to see a
copy of the Constitution (Handbook of Texas Online: Telegraph
and Texas Register), created an environment of dissatisfaction
with Mexico - inferred)
3. How did the invention and use of the hand
press help the Republic of Texas? (able to make more copies in
less time than the previous press and get them out to the people)
4. What steps did Borden take to keep the printing
press from falling into the hands of the enemy? Have the students
read excerpts from Gail Borden, Pioneer, pp. 102-104
(Write the following events on the board in scrambled order, and
have the students put the events in correct order orally as you
discuss: What did he do first? next?)
1. sent his family to safety p. 102-103
2. asked for help from the President p. 103
3. physically moved the printing press p.104
(notice how difficult it must have been from the picture)
4. lost it to Santa Anna p. 108
5. How long after this event was Texas' independence
won? (One week later on April 21, 1836)
6. What did Gail Borden do to ensure the continuation
of free press in Texas? (Bought another printing press in Cincinnati
and resumed publication in Columbia by August.)
Practice
Have each group chose a topic and cooperate
to write a newspaper article from Gail Borden's viewpoint describing
one of the aspects of his attempt to save the printing press from
Santa Anna. (Safety, Help, Hard at Work, Narrow Escape)
Some suggestions for specific assignments in
the group are:
Extension
The following quote from Gail Borden should
be supplied to the students:
"We promise the public of our beloved country
that our press will never cease its operations til our silence
shall announce to them that there is no more in Texas a resting
place for a free press nor for the government of their choice."
Gail Borden, April 14, 1836
On what occasion did Borden make his promise
of April 14,1836? (Santa Anna and his army were fast approaching)
Use the quote to gain an idea of his viewpoint
regarding free press in Texas.
Students can play the role of Gail Borden as
he speaks about the importance of free press to the government
of Texas. He can also speak of his other accomplishments.
Evaluation
Grade newspaper articles for creativity and
accuracy.
Grade viewpoint speeches for clarity and creativity.
Closure
Publish the finished articles as a class newspaper.
Use the class computer to make the final copy.
Extension
Have students give their Gail Borden speeches
to the class.
