Taming the Frontier

To establish a context for an assessment or a study of pioneers and the American frontier in the 1800s, groups examine photos and record observations about clothing, housing, and travel.

What was California like before the Spanish came? Class members discover the answer to the question using images of Native Americans and diaries of the early Spanish explorers. Scaffolded activities allow instructors to adapt the...

Once Americans won the Revolutionary War, their quest to gain land did not end. An interesting activity focuses on Americans' expansion into the frontier following the war and how it conflicted with Native Americans living in the area....

Students study the settlement of the American frontier through literature. In this literature lesson, students read and discuss works by James Fenimore Cooper, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Willa Cather, and Hamlin Garland. Students compare...

Brief article about Native American culture and history prior to European settlement and with arrival of Europeans.

When the Revolutionary War ended, there was an ongoing conflict between the Native Americans and American settler in the Northwest Territory. Students will study two documents from each side of the issue and answer questions and/or hold...

This exhibit from the National Museum of the American Indian explores the close relationship of Native Americans and their horses through art, pottery, textiles, artifacts, and photographs. It traces this relationship from the 15th...

Outline of the American frontier and pioneer experience during westward expanison in the 1800s.

There's nothing like the Wild Wild West! Scholars investigate the American Frontier through the eyes of Kit Carson. To complete the first installment of a three-part series, they use presentations, a short video, and primary and...

In this activity, students will compare and contrast two documents from the Revolutionary period written by 1) a combined group of Native American tribes and 2) an American territorial governor, Arthur St. Clair. Students will analyze...