Curated OER
Etc: Maps Etc: The Expansion Resulting From the Louisiana Purchase, 1803
A base map showing the expansion of the United States resulting from the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
Curated OER
Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Maps Etc: New States Admitted, 1783 1821
A map of the United States showing the original states at the end of the American Revolutionary War (1783) and the states admitted to the Union up to 1821, with the date of admission for each new state given.
Curated OER
Etc: Maps Etc: Admission of States to the Union, 1899
A map from 1899 of the United States showing the growth of the nation from the original States in 1783 to the admission of Utah into the Union in 1896. The map shows the Northwest Territory claimed at the end of the American...
Curated OER
Perry Castaneda Map Collection: Admission of States and Territorial Acquisitions
Here's a map to show you when states were added to the Union. It also shows territories and when they were acquired.
US Geological Survey
Usgs: The Four Great Surveys of the West
This site provides historic images of the expanding frontier taken by military and private citizens from 1861-1912.
Mount Holyoke College
Mt. Holyoke:
Text of speech by William Jennings Bryan at the 1900 Democratic convention. Details his anti-imperialistic stance in terms of the U.S. involvement in the Philippines.
Stanford University
Stanford University: Spacial History: Transcontinental Railroad, 1879 1893
The railroad developers built the rails in anticipation of growth and sprawl across the United States. This visual shows the details of the increase of settlements, yet not quite enough to sustain the expanse of the Transcontinental...
Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute: Northwest Ordinance
Enacted through the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance led to the organization of the Northwest Territory and expedited the expansion of the United States westward. This is a thorough explanation of the ordinance.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader
Students will explore how King's deep-seated commitment to nonviolence contributed to the expansion of social justice in the United States, particularly for African Americans.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Manifest Destiny
Provides interesting facts and important information about the idea of Manifest Destiny and details of Westward Expansion in the United States over a fifty-year time span in the 1800s.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was the important route taken by settlers from the east migrating to build a new life in the western part of the United States covering over 2000 miles.
University of Groningen
American History: Essays: Manifest Destiny: To the End of Time
Explains what the term 'Manifest Destiny' meant during the expansion of the frontier as the United States grew and consolidated its borders.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Seeking Empire
A brief overview of the idea of expansion of the United States overseas in the last part of the 19th century and the early 20th century.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Homestead Act
The purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862 was to shape the future of the Western regions of the United States by taming the region by populating the area with farmers. This article provides an overview of this important political incident...
McCracken County Schools
Mc Cracken County Schools: Structure and Properties of Matter
This expansive unit created by McCracken County Schools focuses on the properties of matter. Multiple lessons focus on the concept of scientific modeling of matter particles. Included in this unit are various activities to reach all...
University of California
The History Project: Meaning of Suburbia
As the United States emerged from World War II, suburbs began to spring up with amazing speed. They were advertised as the perfect place to live - a utopia in which the family would flourish. The suburbs, with their promise of an escape...
Federal Reserve Bank
Federal Reserve Bank San Francisco: American Currency Exhibit: Metal Standards
This site provides information about the expansion of the United States Currency, with links to other related sources.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Transportation: They Say We Had a Revolution (Part 1)
Advancements in transportation have played a key role in the growth of our nation. U.S.government policies have also had a considerable impact on the development of transport as we know it today. In this series of three lessons, the...
Digital History
Digital History: The War's Significance
Find out why the War of 1812 was such a significant victory for the fledgling United States. See how it resulted in greater territory for expansion, and why it brought about the demise of the Federalists.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Transportation: They Say We Had a Revolution (Part 3)
Advancements in transportation have played a key role in the growth of our nation. U.S. government policies have also had a considerable impact on the development of transport as we know it today. For this series of three lessons, the...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader Video
In the second half of the 20th century, racial tensions rose in the US as African Americans began to challenge unjust laws that supported discrimination and segregation. This movement found its leader in the patient and inspiring...
Other
New York Public Library: Heading West: Mining the West
A short page on the discovery of gold at Sutter's Fort as well as the impact of mining in the west on relations with Native Americans.
Mount Holyoke College
Mt. Holyoke College: The Lust for Empire
Text of speech by George Hoar denouncing U.S. involvement in the Philippines.
New York Public Library
In Motion: The Land Promised Lesson Plan: African American Homesteaders
The narrative, The Western Migration, features African Americans with agricultural backgrounds who migrated west following the Civil War and availed themselves of the opportunity to homestead. The Land Promised is designed for use in...