Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Westward Expansion and Reform
Part of a longer time line describing the history of the American West, this section covers the period 1829 to 1859 with hyperlinks to stories and people of this time period.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1865 1898: Indian Wars and Battle of Little Bighorn
Discusses the series of events and conflicts in the Indian Wars that culminated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, or Custer's Last Stand. Includes questions for students at end.
Library of Congress
Loc: Westward Expansion: Links to the Past
Students use documents from California As I Saw It: First Person Narratives, 1849-1900, in American Memory to create a script depicting the motivations, expectations, fears, and realizations of immigrants who settled California between...
Library of Congress
Loc: Exploring With Lewis & Clark
This site from Library of Congress provides a multimedia site using historical documents to tell the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The movies require high speed access but the site will hold student interest.
Library of Congress
Loc: Teachers: Journeys West
A series of lessons utilizing primary texts, including narratives, photographs, and maps, through which students explore the following question: "What motivated thousands of people to journey west during the 1800s?"
The History Cat
The History Cat: The California Gold Rush
Describes the events that led to the California Gold Rush, the lives of the miners, the discrimination faced by Chinese immigrant miners and African Americans, the women who mostly stayed behind when their husbands went west as well as...
Curated OER
Bureau of Land Management: Basic Facts About the Oregon Trail
Learn basic facts about the Oregon Trail and the early pioneers who used it in their move West.
Other
Early America: Milestones: Northwest Ordinance
An introductory summary of the Northwest Ordinance along with a picture of the original document and the text to the full document.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Text Sets: Westward Expansion
Throughout the 1800s, Americans pushed ever westward in the search of prosperity and the American dream. It was a time of growth and adventure for settlers, and loss for most American Indians. This collection includes 7 Grade-Leveled...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Louisiana Purchase
This Library of Congress timeline series discusses the Louisiana Purchase.
Other
Conner Prairie: Road Through the Wilderness: The Making of the National Road
Information on the building of the National Road and its historical significance.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco: California Before Gold Discovery
From the "Century" magazine, an article from 1890 by James Bidwell who came to California in 1841.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Transportation to the Western Frontier
There were several modes of transportation for early settlers to use when they moved to the west. Middle schoolers will research and document four modes of transportation using the Internet and print resources in the library.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Spice Up the Nineteenth Century!
Students will make interactive outlines using the Internet of the reform movements, literature, trails, religion or technology of the early nineteenth century.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
Students engage in a discussion of "Manifest Destiny" using a timeline of events from 1830 - 1860, and a biographical sketch of a real person who lived during that time period. During the discussion, students will use the biography to...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Settling the West: Westward Expansion
During this instructional activity, students will have the opportunity to experience the westward expansion through literature and the Internet. By creating a brochure and a slideshow presentation, students will become aware of the...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Quiz 1
A five-question quiz mainly over westward expansion in the late 1800s.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Chinese Immigrants and Mexican Americans
Like Native Americans, Mexican Americans and Chinese immigrants suffered harsh consequences due to relentless westward expansion by whites in the nineteenth century.
Digital Public Library of America
Dpla: The Homestead Acts
The sources in this primary set document the Homestead Acts and the experiences of American homesteaders during the late 1800s. Includes teaching guide.
Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: English Language Arts, Grade 12: Undaunted Courage
Students explore ideas prominent throughout westward expansion and American literature: myth versus reality. The texts present various perspectives of the West. Students consider the idealism and romance of the American spirit versus the...
Digital Public Library of America
Dpla: Manifest Destiny
From twentieth-century posters, monuments, and letters to nineteenth-century maps, biographies, and paintings, this set allows students to gain a greater understanding of how perceptions of manifest destiny have changed over time.
iCivics
I Civics: Annexation of Texas (1845)
Students explore how the state of Texas was established. They will learn how Texas fought for independence from Mexico, the role of slavery in delaying Texas' admission, and how it was eventually incorporated into the Union.
iCivics
I Civics: Manifest Destiny
Students will learn about the ideology of Manifest Destiny and how it affected different populations and demographics of the U.S. during its expansion.
Ohio State University
Osu History Teaching Institute: Indian Removal
This lesson looks at the process whereby a policy of assimilation gave way to one of overt removal under President Jackson.