54 pages • 1 hour read
David LaskinThe Children's Blizzard
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Index of Terms
Mennonite
Mennonites are a Christian religious group that originated in Europe during the Protestant Reformation, particularly in Switzerland and the Netherlands. They are known for their commitment to nonviolence, simplicity, and community-oriented living. Mennonites emphasize pacifism, voluntary service, and living a modest lifestyle. They typically practice adult baptism, community decision-making, and community support systems, as displayed by the unity of the Schweizers in the Dakota Territory. Mennonites have a diverse range of beliefs and practices, with variations among different denominations and communities, but they are united by their shared Anabaptist heritage and commitment to living out their faith in everyday life.
The Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was a United States federal law passed in 1862 that aimed to encourage settlement of the American West by offering 160 acres of public land to homesteaders willing to live on and cultivate the land for a period of five years. This legislation facilitated the transfer of millions of acres of land from the federal government to private individuals, ultimately leading to the expansion of agriculture, settlement, and development in the Midwest. The Homestead Act played a significant role in shaping the demographic, economic, and social landscape of the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, the poor families desperate to attain security through a homestead were ill-equipped for the extreme weather of the prairie, often with tragic results.
Signal Corps
The American Signal Corps of the 19th century was a branch of the United States Army responsible for providing communication and signaling services to military units during times of conflict. During peacetime, it also had responsibilities related to weather forecasting and observation. Its weather prediction efforts were often stopgap and based on guesswork. Additionally, the Corps was plagued with infighting and petty rivalries that pitted political gain against public safety, which exacerbated the tragedy of the Children’s Blizzard.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a medical condition that occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, causing a dangerously low body temperature. This drop in temperature disrupts normal bodily functions, leading to symptoms such as shivering, confusion, fatigue, and loss of coordination. In severe cases, hypothermia can result in unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, and even death. It is often caused by exposure to cold temperatures, especially in wet or windy conditions. Modern medicine has developed effective interventions for hypothermia, but in 1888, the methods used to treat it were ineffective at best and deadly at worst. The survivors of hypothermia from the Children’s Blizzard dealt with gangrene due to frostbite and often had to have limbs amputated.
