Learn about the louisiana purchase, manifest destiny, the gold rush and more. Im not about to pass up such an interesting topic, so i find ways to intersperse the subject of westward expansion throughout the day. Results page 6 about westward expansion free essays. Manifest destiny the expansion fervor of the us in the 1840s was a large political issue that was not supported by the popular and whig henry clay, leading to the underdog, james k. The story of the united states has always been one of westward expansion, beginning along the east coast and continuing, often by leaps and bounds, until it reached the pacificwhat theodore roosevelt described as the great leap westward. Slavery in the western territories to many nineteenth century americans, the expansion of slavery into western territories caused a great deal of controversy.
By 1830 the old northwest and old southwestareas scarcely populated before the warwere settled with enough people to warrant the admission of illinois. Trappers went to oregon for the profit that could be made from fur trading. Between 1835 and 1838 bands of cherokee indians moved west of the mississippi along the so called trail of tears. We have reached the period of westward expansion after looking at the civil war and then reconstruction. It is still a massively significant book, mostly because of its detailed sweep of the history of the westward movement that it relates. Study 28 terms westward expansion flashcards quizlet. The not so big book of westward expansion printables. As with most of our unit studies, this one was very literaturerich and included a healthy portion of projectbased learning. So, a new free soil party formed in 1848 calling for the limiting of slaverys expansion in the west so that it could be open for white people to live and work. Westward expansion, the 19thcentury movement of settlers into the. It has so much to offer including maps, a project, westward expansion test with a study guide, and so much more. Westward expansion, 18401900, professors can easily adopt this content into their. The trail that later developed through this pass and. The pioneers that were not so happy with their homes wanted to turn back to go home, the pioneers that were happy with their homes wanted to stay in oregon forever, thinking its good to finally be in oregon.
In 1769, after years of searching, daniel boone and his companions came upon the cumberland gap, which led through the appalachian mountains. This book, westward expansion, is a collaborative work between three american history classes from spirit lake, iowa. The belief that settlers were destined to expand to the west is often referred to as. Westward expansion played a pretty big role in the divisions during the 1840s and 1850s in the united states. Westward expansion is an important part of american history. The not so big book of westward expansion ppt video online.
By 1840 almost 7 million americans had migrated westward in hopes of securing land and being prosperous. Westward expansion wikibooks, open books for an open world. The acquisition of hawaii and alaska, though not usually included in. In a sense this journey seemed like a good idea and even an opportunity to further colonize the land but there was one problem, a. In the case of the oregon territory of the pacific northwest, for example. Those that could walk on the oregon trail did so to avoid weighing down the wagons that required constant maintenance to fix wheels, axles, and tarps. The big losers in the westward migration were native americans, who were killed or moved onto reservations. Favorite westward expansion literature simply charlotte.
A variety of factors contributed to westward expansion, including population growth and economic opportunities. In 1843, one thousand pioneers took to the oregon trail as part of the great emigration. Why was westward expansion such an important issue in the. Westward expansion and manifest destiny for kids the notion of the manifest destiny of the united states was that the occupation the whole continent of north america, was a divine right of the american people. During his tenure, americas territory grew by more than onethird and extended across the continent for the first time. So with the wesward expansion they would be able to live freely. The rapid expansion of the united states intensified the issue of slavery as. True or false all cowboys in westward expansion were immigrants from ireland. The big question what were some of the reasons why so.
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. Many could not pay for the whole boat ride, so they would ride half of the way, and walk the. Streams to the river, river to the sea by scott odell, across the wide and lonesome prairie. Expansion was also motivated by religious and civic ideology and conflicting forces over the question of slavery and its continued existence. Westward expansion abc book by kasia paszek on prezi. Overall, without the westward expansion the united states would probably be onethird of its current size today. This is a childrens book of lewis and clarks expedition told through lewis dog. This westward expansion unit is loaded with informational text and activities for events, battles, and important people. What were the causes and effects of westward expansion between 1844 and 1877.
If manifest destiny was such a great part of american history than why do so. The acquisition of hawaii and alaska, though not usually included in discussions of americans expanding their nation westward. But as president, polk wanted to get the issue resolved so the united states. As a student teacher i needed this book for a unit on westward expansion. Who are the primary people involved in the westward. When president thomas jefferson bought the louisiana territory from the french government in 1803, it doubled the size of the existing united states. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of westward expansion 18071912. Westward expansion and the american civil war short. This led to a widespread migration west, referred to as westward expansion.
And when most of our people went west the united states almost doubled in a short amount of time. So, before the hollywood western, the myth of the frontier probably found its best. This fun interactive worksheet is also very useful especially for the map giving a visual for the major acquisition of lands during westward expansion. What were the causes and effects of westward expansion between 1844 and.
It came in on time and was a great resource to have. It had immediate impact on the socalled five civilized tribesthe cherokee. The expansion of westward expansion 785 words cram. Since the drafting of the constitution in 1787, the north and the south had grown further apart in terms of economy, ideology, and society. Between 2,000 and 4,000 of the 16,000 migrating cherokees died. Westward expansion was a natural progression for the nation because it became apparent that most of the major cities in the east were getting overcrowded. Using the notes you have gathered during your webquest as well as your social studies text book, you will create an abc book of facts and knowledge you have learned about western expansion.
Heroes and villains of the westward expansion robert morgan on. I would suggest it to anyone who wants to learn more about westward expansion on an elementary school level. Its not only refreshing to have a book about the west call out these moral. The louisiana purchase of 1803 introduced about 828,000,000 square miles of territory from france into the united states, thereby doubling the size of the young republic. Enter information in spaces to the left as instructed. Westward expansion and the american civil war us history. Westward expansion timeline for kids james polk was the 11th american president who served in office from march 4, 1845 to march 4, 1849. When it appeared in 1949, the first edition of ray allen billingtons westward expansion set a new standard for scholarship in western american history, and the books reputation among historians, scholars, and students grew through four subsequent editions. Explain that westward expansion meant displacement of native. Viewing 15 posts 1 through 15 of 15 total author posts may 1, 2012 at 6. In 1803 the louisiana purchase took place, doubling the size of the country. Westward expansion unit study our journey westward. First, it came from population pressure and the desire for more land, particularly quality farmland.
Also when people got to oregon there was free land so they could just claim what they wanted. Westward expansion before the civil war history and geography the clermont tecumseh sacagawea and baby reader the oregon trail. Once a farmer cleared the land, built a cabin and a barn, and planted his crops, he still had a lot of chores that needed to be done each day. The story of westward expansion involved settlers moving onto land already occupied by native americans the discovery of gold in the west played a pivotal role in westward expansion life in the west was very challenging and did not generally live up to the idealized and romantic notions that people sometimes have ascribed to it. Having freedom was a big issue in the east because there were many strict laws made that made the majority of the population unhappy. Of particular interest are the notsogreats in the book. Westward expansion timeline for kids american historama. History westward expansion the daily life of people living on the frontier was filled with hard work and difficulties. Despite those decades of continuous westward pushing of the frontier line, it was not until the conclusion of the war of 1812 that the westward movement became a significant outpouring of people across the continent.
It nearly tripled the size of our country and increased the population by monstrous amounts. Westward expansion lesson plan for 8th grade lesson planet. This northwest passage would afford the country that controlled it not only. Ever since the first pioneers settled in the united states at the east, the country has been expanding westward. This abridgment and revision of billington and martin ridges fifth edition, with a new introduction and additional scholarship by. Westward expansion in american history exploded for several reasons. What were some of the reasons why so many people wanted to move west. From the thirteen colonies to the mexican cession, your. Westward expansion acrostic by shelby bednar e travel on towards the western frontier ven traversing through the toughest terrain topping is not an option until we get to the pacific ocean. One of the important events during his presidency was the notion of the manifest destiny of the united states and the continuance of the westward expansion.
The exploration of new land leads to an unknown abyss, to gain access to the western part of the country the white settlers had to pass through the native americans, or a horrific predator waiting to attack. State province county parish school district other book no. Manifest destiny was based on the belief of cultural and racial superiority over other nations and the obligation to bring enlightenment and civilization to other races like. Industrialization and the rise of big business, 18701900. American indians and westward expansion source set teaching guide. The not so big book of westward expansion lesson planet 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. Amazon this is a great story through which the native american culture during the westward expansion of the united states is realistically and sympathetically portrayed.
The westward expansion, which started in the 1820s, was one of the biggest steps forward our country has ever taken. The earliest french and english these tribes encountered were not settlers competing for. The north, especially, was afraid that the south more. Westward expansion facts dates 18071910 where western territories of the united. In order to survive, the entire family needed to work.
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