Summary
During the first half of the 19th century, the United States acquired millions of acres of new territory. Its citizens quickly began heading west to claim land and create new settlements, displacing the Indigenous people who already lived there. The U.S. encouraged as much settlement as possible with homesteading programs, and the concept of Manifest Destiny. Life was hard on the Oregon Trail, the route traveled by hundreds of thousands of early settlers. They faced many dangers, but they also posed a threat themselves, to the Native Americans whose land they were moving into. The country's expansion stripped western Native people of their land, until they were left with only a small fraction, in the form of reservations. The building of a cross-country railroad allowed the country to grow even faster. Press "play" to hit the trail and learn about this complicated period in American history.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Westward Expansion:
- What is one new thing you learned about westward expansion?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining westward expansion.
- Draw or give one example of your own.