The History Cat: Westward Expansion

For any teacher of American History, The Lewis and Clark Expedition is a watershed event that should be shared with your students. This is a very good lesson on the Expedition, and the events that led up to it; including The Lousisiana...

From the thirteen colonies to the Mexican cession, your learners will track the territorial acquisitions made by the United States during eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with this printable booklet.

Although Westward Expansion is often romanticized, its impact was devastating on Native American communities. Primary source documents, including pictures of United States troops invading indigenous lands and Native American tribes, tell...

"Go West, young man!" is a familiar refrain in American history. But why did people leave their homes in the East to travel westward and what impact did that movement have on people already living in the American West? By examining...

Students explore the concept of Manifest Destiny. In this Westward Expansion lesson,students examine primary and secondary, print and nonprint sources regarding the removal of the Cherokee.

What led Americans to head west in the 1800s? Using an interactive map and journals from those who traveled, pupils explore the stories of those who migrated. In addition, they see how the numbers fluctuated in response to the push-pull...

A glimpse at life on the Oregon Trail during 19th-century westward expansion. Written humorously with teen learners in mind, students can view original photographs and read excerpts from pioneer diaries for a sense of the arduous journey.

Lewis and Clark's famous expedition is a prime example of the United States' westward expansion. Aspiring historians examine maps from Lewis and Clark's journey, as well as discuss their interactions with Native American tribes. The...

Although popular culture tells the story of the American West simplistically, its reality is far more complex. Native American tribes—while already on the land—didn't have the same interests, and conflicts between white settlers and...

After the Civil War, westward expansion continued to increase, as migrants moved to the west in search of economic opportunities. In this video, Kim discusses the social and cultural effects of increased migration to the west, including...