Gunpowder Man Resources

Study Guides

Note: All study guides and sources are in PDF format.

• Teachers’ Guide
• Author’s Notes

Web Links

Encyclopedias, Background Information, & Primary Sources

• Encyclopedia.com-results for Taiping Rebellion
  Brief encyclopedia entry.
• Encarta-results for Taiping Rebellion
  Brief encyclopedia entry.
• Episodes in China’s History
  San José State University’s good one-page overview of Taiping Rebellion.
• Emergence Of Modern China: II
  Good brief description of the rebellion with a link to a good map
  of China.
• History of China: Table of Contents
  Main table of contents on which the previous page occurs.
• Chinese-American Literature
  University of Hawaii’s guide to information resources.
• Asian-American Literature
  More information on the Asian-American Literature.
• Religion and Rebellion in China: The London Missionary Society Collection
  Background on the influence of British Protestant missionaries on
  the Rebellion.
• Chinese Cultural Studies: The Taiping Rebellion, 1851-1864
  Primary source document on “The Land System of the Heavenly Kingdom.”
  Published in 1853.
• Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882
  Text of the act.

Sites relating to the Railroad

• American Railroad History & the Move West
  Brief overview of U.S. railroad history with informative web links.
• Railroad Museum: The Transcontinental Railroad
  These are brief descriptions of the Big Four and the building of the railroad from the California Railroad Museum site.
• Transcontinental Railroad-Driving the Last Spike
  Description of the history of the Central Pacific construction from the Museum Of the City of San Francisco site.
• The American Experience/The Iron Road
  Description of the episode of the PBS series on the railroad; includes a link to the teacher’s guide for the video.
• New Perspectives on the West
  Excellent site on the Ken Burns PBS documentary on the West.
• The West-Episode 5-The Artillery of Heaven
  The page relating to the Railroad episode in the Burns documentary.
• Railroad Parts: History for Kids
  Students can supplement their knowledge of these powerful machines through the history and facts linked on this page.

Curriculum and Lesson Plan Information

• Chinese Historical and Cultural Project Golden Legacy Curriculum
  A curriculum on Chinese and Chinese American culture sponsored by the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project and History San José (formerly San Jose Historical Museum).
• Asian American Experiences in America: A Chronological History
  A lesson plan on Asian American history.

Maps

• China: Maps
  Links to many maps of China.