Little House on the Prairie

The Ingalls family—parents Charles and Caroline, known as “Pa” and “Ma” in the book, and daughters Mary (age seven), Laura (age six) and Carrie (a baby)—live in Wisconsin in the late 1800s near their extended families. Pa hears that Native American territory on the prairies of Kansas will soon open up to settlement by whites and decides to move there to claim a good plot of land before the selection gets too competitive. The family packs up their belongings and travels in a covered wagon to Kansas. They find a suitable piece of land, and Pa builds a house and stable, digs a well, and hunts and traps in the area.

Native Americans often pass through and camp near the family’s house, putting them on edge because they are afraid the Native Americans will be hostile toward them. Natives sometimes come into their house, and Laura’s parents feel compelled to give them supplies when they indicate that they want something. Potentially dangerous wildlife is also nearby, and the family has run-ins with wolves and a panther. The house is very isolated from other settlers, but the family interacts with a few neighbors, a bachelor named

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