Website
PBS

Pbs the West: The Grandest Enterprise Under God

For Students 9th - 10th
The critically acclaimed PBS series, "The West," depicts the coming of the railroad throughout the west and the consequences of the settling of the west.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: History for Kids: The Log Cabin

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the log cabin of the Old West. Learn how a single room home built from tree trunks and mud using no nails.
Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: American Historama: William Henry Harrison

For Students 9th - 10th
Facts, biography, and accomplishments of the life of William Henry Harrison and summaries of important events during his presidency.
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Maps Etc: Westward March of the Great Pioneers and Explorers, 1911

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of the United States showing the historic sea and land routes taken by famous explorers across North America, from the coastal explorations of Cabot and Corte Real in the Northeast, Ponce de Leon and Alvarez in Florida and the Gulf...
Article
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: Northwest Ordinance

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Clip Art Etc: Thomas Benton

For Students 9th - 10th
Thomas Hart Benton (3/14/1784 - 4/10/1858) was a U.S. Senator from Missouri and a staunch advocate of westward expansion of the United States. He served in the Senate from 1821 to 1851, becoming the first member of that body to serve...
Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Maps Etc: The United States, 1830

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of the United States in 1830 showing the states and territories, the joint-occupation with Britain in Oregon Country, and the British and Spanish possessions at the time. The map shows the westward expansion of the United States,...
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Center of Population, 1790 1900

For Students 9th - 10th
A map from 1919 showing the mean center of population of the United States, calculated at each census from 1790 to 1900. The map illustrates the westward expansion of territory and migration during the period. "The center of population...
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: New England Colonies, 1620 1641

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of the New England Colonies showing the westward expansion of the Pilgrims from Plymouth (1620) to Stamford, Connecticut (1641). The map shows settlements in the area with dates of establishment given, colony boundaries, New...
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Native American Delimitations, 1763 1770

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of the American colonies and territories west to the Mississippi River between the end of the French and Indian War of 1763 and the beginnings of westward expansion of the trans-Appalachian colony proposed in the Vandalia Project...
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Central America and Isthmian Routes, 1846 1860

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of Central America during the period of westward expansion in the United States when the need to find a shorter practical shipping route from the east coast to the west coast was a principle concern. This map shows the proposed...
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Maps Etc: Distribution of Population , 1850

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of the United States showing the population distribution in 1850. The map is coded to show population densities ranging from under 2 inhabitants per square mile to over 90 inhabitants per square mile. The map illustrates the...
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Principal Routes of Trade and Migration, 1840 1850

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of the United States between 1840 and 1850 showing the states and territories, and the principal routes of transportation and westward migration during the period. The map shows frontier forts, outposts, and settlements, the...
Graphic
Curated OER

Wikipedia: Natl Historic Landmarks in Ca: Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites

For Students 9th - 10th
A major crossroads for Alta California as well as the Westward expansion of the United States. It has several archaeological and historical sites, shared with Arizona across the Colorado River, including Fort Yuma and other state parks.
Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Clip Art Etc: Thomas H. Benton

For Students 9th - 10th
(1782-1858) Thomas Hart Benton, also called Old Bullion, was an American Senator from Missouri and an advocate of westward expansion of the United States.
Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Clip Art Etc: Thomas Hart Benton

For Students 9th - 10th
Thomas Hart Benton nicknamed "Old Bullion" (March 14, 1782 - April 10, 1858), was a U.S. Senator from Missouri and a staunch advocate of westward expansion of the United States.
Graphic
University of Missouri

Famous Trials: Chronology of the Dakota Conflict (Sioux Uprising) Trial

For Students 9th - 10th
Contains a chart of the chronology of the Dakota Conflict trials from 1851 to 1890.
Website
Oakland Museum of California

Gold Rush: California on the Eve Californios

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource presents information about the Spanish influence in California before the Gold Rush.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Moving West, Natural Disasters

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Assign reasons from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to explain pioneers' migration to and return from the American plains in the 1800s. Research, write and produce a newspaper dedicated to a natural disaster such as the 19th-century drought.
Graphic
PBS

Pbs: Indian Territory

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from PBS provides a short description and map of "the Indian Territory set aside by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the areas designated for each tribe."
Primary
PBS

Pbs: Archives of the West: Selections From "With the Nez Perces"

For Students 9th - 10th
Contains selections from "With the Nez Perces: Alice Fletcher in the Field, 1889-92" by E. Jane Gay, which provided an anthropological look at the Nez Perce Indians and their bewilderment at the Dawes Act.
Activity
PBS

Lewis and Clark: Archives: A Timeline of the Trip

For Students 3rd - 8th
An easy-to-follow timeline of Lewis and Clark and their journey to the West beginning with Jefferson's ideas of an expedition in 1806 to the death of William Clark in 1838.
Activity
Other

New York Public Library: Heading West: Mining the West

For Students 3rd - 8th
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.
Handout
Other

Cowgirl's Dream: Calamity Jane

For Students 9th - 10th
Calamity Jane, an enigmatic figure, is described in this statement by Buffalo Bill Cody.

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