Westward Expansion

Mr. Dempster's First Quarter "Follow Directions" Paper

Topics can include (but are not limited to) the addition of land and/or states; life for those who moved west and those already living there. Overall, you should be reading about the influences of U.S. expansion and how people and/or the country were changed. Possible topics include:

• The Alamo

• Battle of Little Bighorn and/or General Custer

• Cowboys

• Erie Canal

• Famous Persons: Daniel Boone, Zebulon Pike, Buffalo Bill, James Bowie, Lafayette, etc.

• The Gold Rush

• Gunslingers/Outlaws- Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, etc.

• Indian Chiefs- Sitting Bull, Tecumseh, Crazy Horse, etc.

• Lewis & Clark Expedition

• Life for those who moved west (farmers, miners, railroad workers, etc.)

• Louisiana Purchase

• The Mexican-American War

• The Missouri Compromise

• Native Americans (conflicts between those moving west and those already living there)

• Pony Express

• Trails West- Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, etc.

• Transcontinental Railroad- Railroad workers

• War of 1812

You could consult the following websites for ideas on possible book topics, but remember that the 

information used in your paper must come from the BOOK only!

 

Westward Expansion History Resources

U.S. Westward Expansion history research resource with links for high school and college students.

http://www.snowcrest.net/jmike/westexp.html

 

Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion. Research/Informational Sites.

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/westward.html

 

Kid Info- Pioneers and Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion Links: Explore the world of the American Indians and the19th century pioneers who helped shape the history of the American West.

http://www.kidinfo.com/American_History/Pioneers.html

 

American West Home Page

A Presentation of the History and Development of the American West. Includes maps of the Lewis & Clark Expedition 1804, the Santa Fe Trail 1821, the Oregon Trail 1835, the Mormon Pioneer Trail of 1846, the Pony Express Route 1860, the Overland Trail 1862 and Key Dates of Expansion. Also, several other trails are described and a story on frontier transportation explain the important role of the transcontinental railroad and the railroad companies.

http://www.americanwest.com/

 

PBS- The West

Primary source material on the American West, including many memoirs, journals, diaries, letters, and autobiographies.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/index.htm

 

Old West Legends- Adventures in the American West

From outlaws, to gunfighters, to the American cowboy, and buried treasures on the frontier, Old West Legends provides tales, biographies, and in-depth history into the lives and times on the American West.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/LA-OldWestLegends.html

 

Sample of the format for Mr. Dempster's paper can be found here.

 

Template for the paper can be found here.

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