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Westward Expansion Links
In class, browse through several stations and topics. Select one topic that particularly interests you, and take notes using the resources provided. This research will be needed for the open response portion of your Westward Expansion test.
Go West Across America with Lewis & Clark
Go West Across America with Lewis & Clark
Lewis & Clark & Sacagawea
If this expedition truly intrigued you, go deeper! Read about the discoveries made, the challenges faced, and the individual experiences they recorded.
Why did Jefferson pay for this expedition?
Why did they catalog so many plants and animals?
How did this expedition encourage westward migration?
Resources:
Articles and books in station.
Brainpop video.
The Oregon Trail and other westward routes
Research westward expansion:
- the routes settlers took, the preparations they made,
- the scouts who led them,
- the dangers they faced, and
- the places they settled.
Resources:
Brainpop videos on the Oregon Trail and Westward Expansion.
Maps and articles at the Westward Migration Station.
Subtopics: The Alamo, The Alamo Day 13,
The Homestead Act, Trails and Scouts, etc.
History Video and article on line.
Brainpop Videos on Texas Revolution, Mexican American War.
The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush
A chance to strike it rich overnight! Who wouldn’t be interested?
Research the gold rush of 1849. Learn how the towns that sprung up around the mines led to settlement of parts of the west.
Resources:
History Channel video and article.
Brainpop video on the Gold Rush.
Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers
African American soldiers served proudly in the U.S. military from the Revolution onward. Research the soldiers.
Who were the Buffalo soldiers?
What part did they play in the U.S. Army in the 1860s and 1870s?
How are they remembered today?
Resources:
Buffalo Soldiers booklet
Buffalo Soldiers videos online:
The History Channel article on The Buffalo Soldiers
The Native Americans
The Native Americans
Research one of the nations below:
- the Hopi,
- the Cheyenne, the Apache,
- the Sioux, or
- the Cherokee
For each nation you will need to learn about
- housing
- language
- food
- religion and beliefs
- government
- important figures
- effects of Euro-American expansion on this nation.
Resources:
See the books, articles & maps at the Native American Station.
Brainpop video: American Indians
Brainpop video:
Trail of Tears.
The Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad
Learn about railroad history and how the railroad was a major factor in the settlement of the West by Euro-Americans.
Find out who really built the railroads.
Resources:
Brainpop Video “Railroad History”
Read “Coolies”
Watch "Transcontinental Railroad" video
A Changing Nation
A Changing Nation
Westward Expansion:
Why did they go? How did the population shift in the United States?
Research the reasons people left their homes and families in an age when they would probably never see each other again, to head west to an unknown future.
Why would they take those risks?
How do the statistics help us understand westward expansion and its effects?
Resources:
Why Move West? Online article and activities.
Brainpop video on Westward Expansion.
History Video and article on line.
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