National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Mapping the Past
Students will examine European world maps from the Middle Ages, the Age of Discovery, and the period of New World exploration. They will then look at maps that record the early exploration of the American West and collect present-day...
Other
University of Nevada, Reno: Sheepherders of Northern Nevada
A rich trove of resources that describe the history and culture of sheep ranching in Nevada and the Basques who came to the American West to "trail their flocks" in Nevada's northern Peavine regions.
Bartleby
Bartleby.com: Cambridge History of Eng and Am Lit: Later National Literature: P2
This encyclopedia, "The Cambridge History of English and American Literature" provided by Bartleby.com, includes information of regionalism in poetry located in section X 'Later Poets'. Check out 1.Poets of East and West 5. The Middle...
PBS
Pbs: Events in the West: 1800 1820
A comprehensive site on the development and history of the American West. In timeline fashion, this page details the events leading up to the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It continues with information about...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Texas Ranch House
What was it like to be a cowboy in 1867? Visit the Cooke Ranch and explore a cowboy's working and dwelling quarters. Play the interactive games to learn about the many aspects of daily life in the American West. (Click "Interactive...
Other
Museum of Western Colorado
This site contains information/links to artifacts, photographs, Native Americans, the Old West, facts about the 20th century, and dinosaur-rich geography.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History: Lewis and Clark Mapping the West
Understand the importance of the mapping done by Lewis and Clark as you work through these learning exercises and learn mapmaking skills yourself.
Other
Trail of Tears Assoc: The Story Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Follow the early history of Native American and European contact in America. As more settlers moved west, a law was passed to relocate the Cherokee from Arkansas. The routes they followed and the cruelties they suffered came to be known...
Library of Congress
Loc: America at the Turn of the Century
A short report on America by 1900: "..the American nation had established itself as a world power. The West was Won. The frontier -- the great fact of 300 years of American history -- was no more."
Civil War Home
Home of the American Civil War: Battle of Fort Donelson
A detailed account of the Battle of Fort Donelson from "The Confederate Military History."
Other
A Gathering of Nations: Images of History of the Indian Tribes of North America
A selection of twenty-four images from The History of the Indian Tribes of North America, each representing a different Native American Nation. Each image is accompanied by a brief description.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: The First Europeans
The first Europeans to arrive in North America -- at least the first for whom there is solid evidence -- were Norse, traveling west from Greenland, where Erik the Red had founded a settlement around the year 985. In 1001 his son Leif is...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: The Ghost Dance and Wounded Knee
Explains the origin of the Ghost Dance movement and the massacre of the Sioux that happened at Wounded Knee. Includes questions for students.
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Impact of Expansion on Chinese Immigrants and Hispanic Citizens
As white populations moved westward in the 19th century, Chinese immigrants and Hispanic Americans faced racism and discrimination and were unable to compete on an equal basis for land. Eventually, both groups settled into urban areas...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Utah History Encyclopedia: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
This resource provides information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Utah History Encyclopedia. Includes discussion of the Church's organization, teachings, practices, and history.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1865 1898: The Homestead Act and the Exodusters
Explains what the Homestead Act of 1862 was and what it meant for settlers, as well as the Exodus of 1879 when many African Americans became exodusters and left the South. Includes questions for students at end.
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...
Other
Nra National Firearms Museum: American West: Winchester Model 1876
A history of the earliest versions of the Winchester rifle, which found a ready market in the American West after the Civil War.
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.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: America's History in the Making: Contested Territories
This site highlights the westward expansion of settlers in North America and the effects this expansion had on Native Americans between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
Library of Congress
Loc: Photographs of the Detroit Publishing Company: 1880 1920
An online collection of historical and archival photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company that show American life, industry, agriculture, and more from this period of rapid change.
Other
West Virginia University: A Summary of Native American Religions
This is an excellent introduction to Native American religious beliefs and practices. Includes an explanation of the major Native American Religions and their history. Site is extensive and exclusively text-based.
Other
Doing History, Keeping the Past
Fun site gives great pictures and explanations of Colorado history: farmers and ranchers, city dwellers, mining towns, Native Americans. Take virtual field trips into Denver's history.
Sam Houston State University
The Revolutionary War in the West: The Conquest of the Illinois Country (I779)
Primary source document journal entry written by Colonel George Rogers Clark, describes the conquest of the Illinois country in 1779 during the Revolutionary War.