Bedtime History
What was the Louisiana Purchase?
Discover the story behind the Louisiana Purchase, one of the most important land deals in American history. In this video, we explain how the United States bought a huge amount of territory from France in 1803, doubling the size of the...
Makematic
The Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 led to the forced relocation of Indigenous Peoples from the fertile East to the arid West, marking a tragic chapter in U.S. history with the harrowing Trail of Tears.
Makematic
Trails of the West
In the 1800s, as the United States expanded, thousands travelled well-worn trails on foot and horseback in search of land and opportunity, often at the expense of Indigenous Peoples.
Makematic
Treaty of Ghent
The War of 1812, between the United States and Great Britain, ended with the Treaty of Ghent. This historic agreement, negotiated in Belgium over five months, proved that the U.S. could achieve its aims through diplomacy.
Makematic
Lewis and Clark
In the early 1800s, Meriweather Lewis and William Clark charted the vast Louisiana Territory, providing the first maps and detailed documentation of its geography, plants, animals, and Indigenous populations.
Makematic
The End of the Revolutionary War
What did the United States look like after the Revolution? Discover how economic, governmental and social challenges in the post-war period led to lasting reforms that fulfilled the promise of independence.
Curated Video
Why Kansas Has So Few Americans Compared To Missouri And Colorado
Kansas has fewer than 3 million Americans overall making it the 36th largest state in the country. But if you look just to the east and west you have the states of Missouri and Colorado respectively, each with about double the population...
Wonderscape
The Impact of the Louisiana Purchase
This video explores the significant effects of the Louisiana Purchase on the United States. It discusses how the acquisition doubled the country's size, opened up new trade routes along the Mississippi River, and enabled westward...
Wonderscape
The Louisiana Purchase: Jefferson’s Quest for New Orleans
This video explores the events leading up to the Louisiana Purchase and President Thomas Jefferson's concerns about New Orleans in the early 1800s. It covers Jefferson's efforts to secure access to the Mississippi River for American...
Curated Video
The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears identifies how westward expansion affected Native Americans by exploring the Trail of Tears.
Amor Sciendi
The Landscapes of Julie Mehretu
An explanation of Mark Bradford's abstract landscape paintings
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Look To The Land
Learn how exploitation of the land changed the face of North America, as presented in Look to the Land, a 1954 production of Encyclopaedia Britannica Films.
Curated Video
Lewis and Clark: the Making of an Expedition
Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery opened the American West up to expansion and settlement – but it all rested on the expert planning and preparation.
Getty Images
A man in pioneer clothing walks toward log cabins.
A man in pioneer clothing walks toward log cabins.
Getty Images
An American flag is seen within the walls of a fort.
An American flag is seen within the walls of a fort.
Getty Images
A man in pioneer clothing enters a rustic gate.
A man in pioneer clothing enters a rustic gate.
Getty Images
Smoke rises from a chimney past a United States flag on the roof of a house.
Smoke rises from a chimney past a United States flag on the roof of a house.
Getty Images
A man in pioneer clothing enters a rustic gate between log cabins.
A man in pioneer clothing enters a rustic gate between log cabins.
Getty Images
Log cabins stand in the forest at Fort Clatsop National Memorial in Oregon.
Log cabins stand in the forest at Fort Clatsop National Memorial in Oregon.
Getty Images
Smoke rises from the chimney of a fort in the forest.
Smoke rises from the chimney of a fort in the forest.
Getty Images
Gun powder, a journal and other instruments and equipment are seen on a desk in a cabin.
Gun powder, a journal and other instruments and equipment are seen on a desk in a cabin.
Getty Images
Smoke rises from a wet roof at Fort Clatsop in Oregon.
Smoke rises from a wet roof at Fort Clatsop in Oregon.
Getty Images
Buckskins and a powder horn hang on a cabin wall.
Buckskins and a powder horn hang on a cabin wall.