What is the Black Swamp?

Why is Northwest Ohio known as the Black Swamp?  What is the Black Swamp?  These questions, as well as others, can be answered.  In fact, it is important to learn about the past!  By studying the Black Swamp and the people that settled here, one can have a better appreciation of their heritage and environment.

Read “Glacier left Black Swamp” by Elizabeth Plummer of the Sentinel Tribune (9/8/77) and the video clips below from "The Great Black Swamp" to answer the following questions.

All video clips on this website require the use of QuickTime 5. Click on the image below to download this browser plug-in.  (This is an external website that will open in a new window.)

1. Who settled in the Black Swamp?
2.  What exactly is the Black Swamp?
3.  Where was the Black Swamp located? 
4.  When was the Black Swamp settled and drained?
5.  Why did people settle here?
6.  How was the Black Swamp formed? 


 

|Lesson 1|

|Lesson 2|

|Lesson 3|

|Lesson 4|

|Intro|

|Teacher Resources|

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