Early Invasion in Northern California

This lesson introduces students to a more complex understanding of invasion and colonial settlement in California and builds on elementary knowledge of U.S. history by including an analysis of Russian settlers at Fort Ross, located in present day Sonoma county California, between 1812-1840. This lesson also engages students’ imagination and encourages curiosity about layered and complex histories with a creative writing activity that asks them to describe this historical era from a unique point of view. This lesson is 50 minutes long.