For this unit, we will be focusing on the vast territorial expansion that occurred between 1801 and 1861 as Americans pushed westward across the Appalachian Mountains, the Mississippi River, and finally across the Rocky Mountains and on to the Pacific Ocean.

Westward expansion is controversial for many reasons, including: 

• The removal of many American Indian nations from their homelands.

• The process and acquisition of new territories. 

• The danger and opportunity of pioneering to the west. 

• The conflicts with various groups in the west. 

This project will divide the people and events involved in the era of Westward Expansion into 3 concepts: 

• The territory gained by the U.S. and the politicians involved in the land acquisitions. 

• The conflict over the land and the pioneering along the way. 

• The American Indian nations that were impacted and displaced during Westward Expansion. 

In the pursuit of Manifest Destiny, was the process and the result of expanding west an American triumph or tragedy?