Transcript Westward Expansion - pyleintel2fall2011

Westward Expansion
Answering the questions of the leaders of
Idontknowwhere…
Motivations for Moving West

M – Manifest Destiny
◦ People who moved west believed that it was
America’s “destiny” to own all of the land from
the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

E – Economic Opportunity
◦ Others moved west because they wanted to
make more money. They knew of better jobs
and gold out west.

R – Religious Freedom
◦ People who had different religious beliefs than
others were sometimes mistreated. These
people decided to move west to find a place
where they could live without being
persecuted.

L - Land
◦ Many Americans just felt too crowded. They
wanted more open land to live and grow crops
on. These people moved out west as well.
Expeditions

There were 3 important expeditions in
which important people paved the way for
others to move west. These important
people were:
◦ Lewis and Clark
◦ Daniel Boone
◦ Zebulon Pike
Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark helped to explore the
Louisiana Purchase after the U.S. bought
if from France.
 These two men traveled all the way to the
Pacific Ocean, exploring land, meeting
Native Americans, and discovering new
plants and animals.

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone was a major player in
settling Kentucky. He led settlers across
the Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian
Mountains. Boone created the Wilderness
Trail here.
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Pike explored in what is now the
southwest part of the United States.
 Today, a mountain called Pike’s Peak is
named after Zebulon Pike.

Pioneer Life

Moving west was
dangerous because
people faced storms,
rushing rivers, lack of
good food, homesickness,
fights with Native
Americans, and wild
animals.

Pioneers had to work
together in order to
survive. They traveled in
wagon trains, with leaders
and rules for each person
to follow.
Pioneer Life was not
always fun or easy.

People traveled in covered
Conestoga wagons in
order to transport their
belongings. These
wagons were pulled by
oxen or other strong
animals.
Trails

Not everyone took the same path
westward. The trails many people took
were called the:
◦ Oregon Trail
◦ Mormon Trail
◦ Santa Fe Trail

Oregon Trail
◦ Most people who took the Oregon Trail were
moving for a better live and more land.
◦ The Oregon Trail ran from around the
Mississippi River all the way to present-day
Oregon.

Mormon Trail
◦ Mormons were the main people who took this
trail. They traveled along this path for religious
freedom.
◦ The Mormon Trail end in what is now the state
of Utah. Many Mormons live there to this day.

Santa Fe Trail
◦ Most travelers who took this trail were trying to
make money by trading goods.
◦ The Santa Fe Trail ended in present-day New
Mexico.
Land Acquisitions

During the 1800s, many areas of land
were added to the United States.
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Louisiana Purchase
Florida Purchase
Mexican Cession
Oregon Territory
Annexation of Texas

The United States bought the Louisiana
Territory from France in 1803, doubling
the size of the country.

Florida was purchased from Spain.

Texas was added to the United States
after it rebelled against its Mexican
government.

The Mexican Cession (a southwestern
area of land) was gained after the
Mexican War.

The Oregon Territory was added to the
United States through a peaceful treaty
with Great Britain.
Effects on Native Americans

Throughout the Westward Expansion
movement, the United States government
was not very kind to Native Americans. Many
were forced to move from their homes or
died while fighting for their land.
◦ Indian Removal Act of 1830
◦ Cherokee Trail of Tears
◦ Seminole Wars

In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed
what is called the Indian Removal Act.
◦ This act forced Native Americans in the
southeast part of the United States to leave
their land and go live in lands further west
called the Indian Territory.

The Trail of Tears is the path taken by the
Cherokee tribe as they were forced from
their homes.
◦ After trying to live peacefully with other
Americans for years, the U.S. army finally
forced them off their land. Many Cherokees
died on this long, hard journey.

The Seminole Wars were fought near
Florida and Georgia between the Seminole
tribe and the U.S. government.
◦ When the government told the Seminoles to
leave their land, they refused. After fighting
three different wars with the U.S., the
Seminoles lost and had to leave their land.

Dear leaders of Idontknowwhere,
◦ I hope this information helps you as you decide
how to lead your country in moving west. May
you learn from our mistakes and gain insight
from the things we did well!
 Sincerely,
 Ms. Smith’s 4th Grade Class