Galveston is a rich environment to teach homeschool kids about Texas history firsthand.
With a visit to Galveston, the classroom moves out of your house and brings history to life in the places that it happened. And you don’t even need to officially homeschool your children to make the most of the historical locations that you will find in Galveston. This curriculum also works to enhance a vacation or field trip to Galveston, making it more educational.
pictured: 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA
Galveston has one of the oldest and richest histories of anywhere in the United States.
Some of the nicknames it is has been known for include, “The Wall Street of the South,” the “Ellis Island of the South” and even the “Republic of Galveston” for its many different eras.
From the Native Americans who made Galveston their home when the Europeans landed in North America in 1528, to when the French claimed it in the 1600s and named it St. Louis, to when it was charted as Galveston Bay on July 23, 1786, by Jose de Evia for Spanish colonial governor and general Bernardo de Gálvez, Galveston has a rich heritage.
The Port of Galveston is the second biggest immigrant ports of the 19th and 20th centuries. An estimated 300,000 immigrants entered the U.S. through the Port of Galveston between 1846-1948.
The U.S. government chose Galveston over New Orleans as the ‘new’ Federal Immigration Station in 1906. However, it was never fully realized. A scaled down version was operational by 1913, but it was damaged by hurricane winds in 1915.
Unrestricted entry ended in 1875. Immigrants entered Galveston through Pier 29.
Conduct some online research about the immigration that occurred through the Port of Galveston:
The hurricane that made landfall on Galveston Island on Sept. 8, 1900, is still considered one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
An estimated 10,000 to 12,000 people lost their lives. More than 6,000 of those were from Galveston Island.
Photo courtesy of Rosenberg Library
The unnamed storm would have been classified today as a Category 4 hurricane. But despite the destruction, the Galveston survivors immediately began rebuilding.
Clara Barton and the Red Cross helped establish an orphanage for the victims of the storm; they also helped obtain lumber and materials to rebuild homes.
Conduct some online research about the immigration that occurred through the Port of Galveston:
Students will learn more about their visit to Galveston with these activity sheets. They are designed to be used before, during and after their visits to various locations, as noted below.
Each of these activity sheets is a PDF download that requires the freely available Adobe reader on your computer, or another PDF reader of your choice. Please print for personal use only.
Where the Texas Coast begins.
Author
Visit Galveston
Visit Galveston is the official destination marketing organization for Galveston Island, Texas.
