Westward Movement

Related reading: Discovery Techbook Chapter 7, Sections #3 & #4, Explore.

Students will:

• analyze the aspirations and ideals of the people of the new nation.

• examine the country's physical landscapes, political divisions, and territorial expansion.

• analyze U.S. foreign policy in the early Republic.

• know the changing boundaries of the United States and describe the relationships the country had with its neighbors (current Mexico and Canada) and Europe, including the influence of the Monroe Doctrine, and how those relationships influenced westward expansion.

• analyze the divergent paths of the American people in the West from 1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges they faced.

• describe the purpose, challenges, and economic incentives associated with westward expansion, including the concept of Manifest Destiny and and the territorial acquisitions that spanned numerous decades.

• describe the Texas War for Independence and the Mexican-American War, including territorial settlements, the aftermath of the wars, and the effects the wars had on the lives of Americans today.