DISCUSSION GUIDEThe Boy Who Became

BUFFALO BILL

Growing Up Billy Cody in Bleeding Kansas

By ANDREA WARREN

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN of his era,

Buffalo Bill was the legendary founder

and star of a world-famous Wild West show

that entertained audiences here and abroad in

an action-packed extravaganza of cowboys,

Indians, trick riding, sharpshooters, and even

a runaway stagecoach.

But long before stardom, Buffalo Bill—born Billy Cody—had to grow up fast when his family was

caught in the mayhem consuming the Kansas-Missouri border prior to the Civil War. Would Kansas

enter the Union as a slave or free state?

The death of Billy’s father by a pro-slaver meant that eleven-year-old Billy had to become the family

breadwinner. By age seventeen, he had worked on wagon trains, tracked Indians and buffalo, ridden

for the Pony Express, and become an army scout and spy.

Award-winning author Andrea Warren brings to life the story of young Billy Cody, who grew up

amid the tumult of a nation divided to become an American icon.

“[A] gripping and intelligent read.” —Publishers Weekly

“Well-researched and engagingly written.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This unputdownable adventure reveals the human side of Buffalo Bill. A solid addition to biography collections.” —School Library Journal

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Common Core State Standards addressed by the discussion questions and activities in this guide are noted throughout. For more information about the Common Core, visit corestandards.org.

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THE BOY WHO BECAME BUFFALO BILL Discussion Guide This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS• Early in his life, Billy Cody suffered the loss of his older brother, Sam. His entire family,

especially his mother, was heartbroken. How did the Cody family follow the doctor’s order for a “change of scene” after Sam’s death? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• What were the reasons that Billy’s father, Isaac, was interested in life for his family in the Kansas territory? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.8; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.8

• Re-read the last two pages of chapter two, where Billy’s parents are described. How was Billy like his father and different from his mother? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• Chapter three is entitled “Slavery Becomes Real.” What did the Cody family experience during their journey to Kansas that brought the issue of slavery into sharper focus for them? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• During Billy Cody’s youth, the U.S. government was able to prevent the country from going to war by keeping an equal number of slave states and free states. Kansas and Nebraska were on the brink of becoming part of the Union. Why was conflict more likely to occur in Kansas than Nebraska? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3

• Fort Leavenworth in Kansas played an important role in keeping pioneers safe as they traveled west along the Santa Fe and Oregon trails. Fort Leavenworth also played a significant role in Billy Cody’s life. What was Billy’s impression of life at the fort when he visited for the first time with his uncle and father? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• Who was Horace Billings and why was he important to the Cody family as they started their life in the Kansas territory? Why was Horace especially important to a young Billy Cody? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• In order to claim land in Kansas territory, the Cody family had to file a land patent so that the land could officially be theirs. Who were the “squatters” in Kansas and why did they stake illegal claims to land there? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3

• Billy and his father had a life-changing experience on one memorable trip home after a trip to Fort Leavenworth. What happened to Billy’s father when he and Billy passed by Rively’s store? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• The event outside of Rively’s store triggered other problems for the Cody family. What did pro-slave gangs of men do to the family? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• After the Rively store incident, Billy described the role of his father in the Cody family: “Father could be of no service to us. His presence, in fact, was a menace.” What did Isaac decide to do to keep his family safe from the pro-slavers? How did Billy’s responsibilities in the family change with his father’s decision? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

THE BOY WHO BECAME BUFFALO BILL Discussion Guide This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

• Who were the abolitionists? How did they become involved in the struggle between Kansas and Missouri over the issue of slavery? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3

• Billy’s father, Isaac, became involved with the Free State Party. What was the Free State Party’s Topeka Constitution? What was President Pierce’s reaction to the Free State legislature? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3

• Billy had the opportunity to meet some of the key abolitionists involved in the struggle to make Kansas a free state. Who were some of the more famous abolitionists and how did their approaches to abolishing slavery in the United States differ? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3

• Horace Greeley, an editor at the New York Tribune, coined the term “Bleeding Kansas.” Why was this phrase fitting for where Billy Cody grew up? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2

• With his father’s death and his mother’s ill health, young Billy’s role in the Cody family became even more important: “I was eleven years old, and the only man of the family. I made up my mind to be the breadwinner.” What steps did Billy take to provide for his family? What dangers did he face in his new job? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• Eventually the pro-slavers stopped intimidating the Cody family, but soon Billy faced other dangers from Native Americans and Mormons while working on the wagon trails. Describe one of the dangerous experiences Billy had on the wagon trail. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• Who was Wild Bill Hickok and how did he influence a young Billy Cody as they worked alongside one another as frontiersmen? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• The Pony Express, seeking riders, advertised: “Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” What was Billy’s involvement with the short-lived Pony Express? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• Kansas eventually entered the Union as a free state in 1861. Not long after, there was talk of war. Billy’s mother had made him promise that he would not enlist for the war while she was alive. What were the “Bushwhackers” and the “Jayhawks,” and how did Billy participate in anti- and pro-slavery violence without breaking his promise? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• Under what circumstances did Billy once again meet up with Wild Bill Hickok? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1

• After the death of his mother, Billy became a full-fledged soldier in the Union army. He was described as a good soldier who did not complain of the hardships and cruelty of war. In one instance, Billy even helped a Southern family keep its home a bit longer by warning them of approaching troops. What did this event with a Confederate family reveal about Billy’s personality? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

THE BOY WHO BECAME BUFFALO BILL Discussion Guide This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

• After the war, Bill Cody married Louisa Frederici. Soon after his marriage, he was hired by the army to be a scout and a guide. During this time, he was dubbed Buffalo Bill. How did he come to have this nickname? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• Bill Cody was widely known as a talented storyteller as well as a skilled frontiersman. How did he use these talents to create a unique career for himself? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

• Buffalo Bill Cody had a complex relationship with Native Americans from various tribes over the course of his life. Explain why sometimes he was sympathetic and supportive to them and sometimes fought them. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

ACTIVITIES• Using a template of a map of the United States from around 1861, label each state and

territory by name. Color those aligned with the Union blue and those aligned with the Confederacy red. Color areas whose allegiance was undetermined purple.

• The participation of Plains Indians in Buffalo Bill’s show was controversial. Some believed he was exploiting the nearly 200 Plains Indians who performed for him and others felt he was dignifying them. Write a persuasive paragraph either supporting the participation of the Plains Indians or condemning it. Be sure to give reasons and examples for your opinion. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1

• After pro-slavers outside of Rively’s store attacked Isaac Cody, a pro-slavery newspaper in Liberty, Missouri, wrote about the incident. Read the editor’s version of the attack in chapter seven. Then rewrite the article twice—first from the view of an unbiased observer and then from an anti-slaver's point of view. Include a headline for each version and details about what happened between the gang of pro-slavers and Isaac Cody. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2

• Billy Cody began working at a very young age to help support his family and to fulfill his desire to be a frontiersman. Write a resume for Buffalo Bill Cody. What skills did he have? For whom did he work? What were his job responsibilities? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6

The discussion questions and activities in this guide were created by Leigh Courtney, Ph.D. She teaches in the Global Education program at a public school in San Diego, California. She holds both master’s and doctoral degrees in education, with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction.

ANDREA WARREN combines her love of history and story with her passion for children and education in her award-winning non-fiction books for young readers, including Orphan Train Rider and Surviving Hitler. Her many honors include the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction, the Robert F. Sibert Honor Award for Most Distinguished Informational Book for Children, the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, and the William Allen White Award. Andrea Warren has lived in Kansas for many years, the setting for much of this book, and now makes her home in the Kansas City Area. For more information about her books, visit AndreaWarren.com.

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THE BOY WHO BECAME BUFFALO BILL Discussion Guide This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

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In “A Note of Caution to Readers” at the beginning of The Boy Who Became Buffalo Bill, author Andrea Warren shares that Bill Cody was a master storyteller, but not a master of accuracy in terms of dates, places, and facts. The author had to consider what information to include in her biography of Buffalo Bill.

Think of a person in your life to interview. Create a list of questions that would give you interesting and accurate information about your subject. Use this list to help you interview your selected person. Write a short biography about the person you interviewed. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.B; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.B; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.B

CONDUCT AN INTERVIEW

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THE BOY WHO BECAME BUFFALO BILL Discussion Guide This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

Buffalo Bill Cody crossed paths with several important historical figures during his lifetime. Some of the significant people Bill Cody met are listed below. Use the book’s index to locate where they are referenced in the text and re-read those sections. Write a brief description of Bill Cody’s interaction with each person. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

FAMOUS FRIENDSName _________________________________________

Wild Bill Hickok

Kit Carson Queen Victoria

General Andrew Jackson Smith

Mark Twain