Rifles for Watie | Teaching Setting, Symbolism and Objects

Object Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major objects in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Objects

Linn County, Kansas - The Bussey family farm is located here. Jeff Bussey leaves this home in 1861 as a 16-year-old boy off to war and returns as a 20-year-old man.

Mule-Driven Plow - This is what Jeff uses to tend the field in Kansas, turning over the black soil, foreshadowing the men killed in war and buried in graves. This is also a symbol of rebirth and freedom for black slaves.

Kansas-Missouri Border - This is the line that prompts Jeff to enlist in the Union army. There is a large conflict...
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