Log Cabins
by Alejandra
A pioneer's house was called a log cabin. They
could be built with very few tools. Log cabins were most important in
the 1600's even though they were important to America for a long time.
Log cabins were needed because without them, people wouldn't have a
warm, comfortable home in the west at that time.Log Cabins Come to America
Log cabins were introduced to America by Swedish colonists of the Delaware River valley. Since Europeans moved to North America, they used log cabins to live in. Log cabins came from countries like Germany, Western Russia, and Ukraine. Presidents such as Andrew Jackson, James Polk, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, and James Garfield- were born in log cabins.
Building Log Cabins
Log cabins could be built by just one person with a heavy ax and a hunting knife. Log cabins were made from logs that pioneers cut down. Their roof was made with hollowed out logs so that when it rained, the rain would fall to the ground. Pioneers filled the cracks of the cabin with mud to keep wind from blowing through the cabin.
Living in a Log Cabin
Log cabins weren't very big, but they were warm and safe. The oldest log cabins had one room only and an entire family slept there. Log cabins had a very small kitchen with only one small table with chairs. Log cabins would have a small family room with a fire burning in the fireplace.
In the 1840's, log cabins became a campaign symbol. Log cabins were celebrated in songs and speeches. They appeared on items like quilts, plates, and banners. The log cabin became a very important American symbol.
image courtesy of http://www.english-online.at/art-architecture/houses-and-homes/houses.htm
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