Sometimes you discovered the most interesting resources that are reasonably priced and yet so full of guidance it is remarkable. While sifting through various resources on TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) I came across a wonderful woman who shared a resource and created some worksheets based on a wonderfully free webpage. I am truly greatful for this woman and the team at Ducksters.
Barron truly took interest in this time period and area in history. He was able to grasp key facts, people, places, and time periods quicker than myself. I am so impressed with him and his work on this subject, just as the gold he studied he truly is a gold star student! Great work Barron!
At the time I did not know how to edit my pdf so I would often rewrite on a piece of paper the resource I purchased or type up the answers, which I have done below from the sheets we purchased in the above shop.
For the sheet on the topic of:
During the 19th Century, more than 1.6 million square kilometers (a million square miles) of land west of the Mississippi River was acquired by the United States federal government. This led to a widespread migration west, referred to as Westward Expansion.A variety of factors contributed to Westward Expansion, including population growth and economic opportunities on what was presented to be available land.
Manifest Destiny was the belief that it was settlers’ God-given duty and right to settle the North American continent. The notion of Manifest Destiny contributed to why European settlers felt they had a right to claim land, both inhabited and uninhabited, in western North America. They believed it was the white man’s destiny to prosper and spread Christianity by claiming and controlling land.
Manifest Destiny was used to validate the Indian Removal Acts, which occurred in the 1830s. Such legislation forced the removal of Native Americans and helped clear the way for non-native settlers to claim land in the west. When the settlers reached land populated or previously promised to Native Americans, they had no qualms claiming it for their own benefit.
It was not just spiritual prosperity that inspired settlers—outright moneymaking opportunities also motivated Westward Expansion.
Throughout most of the 19th century, there were two main ways to make money west of the Mississippi River: through gold and silver prospecting, and through developing land for agriculture, industry, or urban growth. These two activities often supported each other. In California, for instance, the actuality of “striking it rich” was quite short-lived, although immigrants continued to populate the new state and contribute to its agricultural and economic growth well after gold fields were discovered there in 1848.
The idea of “free land” was fairly short-lived as well. By 1890, the U.S. Census reported that there were so many permanent settlements west of the Mississippi that a western “frontier” no longer existed in the United States.
This declaration inspired a young historian, Frederick Jackson Turner, to write his famous “Frontier Thesis.” Turner claimed the “close of the frontier” was symbolic. He asserted that Westward Expansion was the most defining characteristic of American identity to date. With the close of the frontier, he thought, America was that much more “American”—liberated from European customs and attitudes surrounding social class, intellectual culture, and violence.
Many historians criticize the Frontier Thesis, and many reject the idea of an American “frontier” (which Turner described as “the meeting point between savagery and civilization”) entirely. These historians recognize that the “free land” that defined Westward Expansion came at a severe cost to Native American and Spanish-speaking populations, as well as more recent immigrants from Asia (who migrated east, across the Pacific). The Frontier Thesis ignores the development and evolution of these identities almost entirely.
Source: https://blog.education.nationalgeographic.org/2018/09/16/what-is-westward-expansion/
Gold California Rush: https://www.ducksters.com/history/westward_expansion/california_gold_rush.php
From 1848 to 1855
Gold Found: Who? James Marshall
Where? California at Sutter's Mill at the city of Coloma.
How? James was building a sawmill for John Sutter when he found shiny flakes of gold in the river.
The 49's --> in 1848 = 6, 000 people
in 1849 = 90,000 people
Pan Handling is a way to look for gold, to separate gold from dirt and gravel
Steps to find gold -> 1. Put gravel and water into a pan.
2. Shake the pan back and forth.
3. Gold settles to the bottom and throw out stuff on the top.
Supply list:
Mining pan, a shovel, pick, coffee, bacon, sugar, beans, flour, bedding, a tent, lamp, a kettle, rockers, and cradles.
Price High or Low: High Prices.
Boomtown: Defined--> a place where mining camps set up because there is gold to be found there.
Examples: The cities of San Francisco and Columbia.
Draw It:
Ghost Towns: Define It--> When Boomtowns lack people because they moved to a new town with gold. These places are empty and abandoned.
Draw It:
Example: Bodie, California
Three Cool Facts about Gold Rush:
California was admitted as the 31st state of the United States in 1850 during the gold rush.
Gold Rushes happened at Pike's Peak in Colorado and the Klondike gold rush in Alaska.
12 million ounces of gold was discovered during the gold rush, about $20 billion dollars worth.
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https://www.ducksters.com/history/westward_expansion/louisiana_purchase.php
Louisiana Purchase: The purchasing of an area of land from France (under Emperor Napoleon's rule). It was the largest purchase of land ever by the USA, doubling the amount of land the USA had.
Why More Land?
To plant crops, raise livestock and to make new towns since areas such as west of the Appalachian Mountains and into the Northwest Territory was becoming crowded.
Price Tag: $15 million about 3 cents per acre. In 2011 that would be $233 million/42 cents per acre.
Total Land Gained= 828,000 square miles.
Now 15 States:
Borders:
North: Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana all the way to Canada.
South: New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico
East: Mississippi River
West: Rocky Mountains
Passed by: 59 - 57 Votes
Exploration:
President Jefferson organized expeditions to explore the new areas and one famous was called the Lewis and Clark expedition where they travelled up Missouri River all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
The Pike Expedition led by Zebulon Pike explored the Great Plains and into Colorado and discovered Pike's Peak.
Interesting Facts:
There was an exploration expedition called the Red River Expedition that explored the Southwest areas of land.
Some people think Napoleon had no right to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States because it used to be owned by Spain before they sold it back to France in 1800. Napoleon sold it because he thought it would hut his enemy in England.
Owning new land created slavery in the western lands and this contributed to the cause of the American Civil War.
The original price of $15 million worked out to around 3 cents an acre.
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https://www.ducksters.com/history/westward_expansion/oregon_trail.php
Oregon Trail
Life on the trail: Most pioneers walked alongside the wagons being careful of any litter that was along the route. It was a dangerous 5 month journey due to a disease called cholera that killed them, bad weather and accidents moving heavy wagons over mountains posed a risk. Native Americans were friendly and helpful on the journey.
Typical Supplies: Very little belongings were in the wagons, 2-3 sets of strong clothing, candles, tents bedding, axe, shovel, hunting rifle, some buckets, coffee pot, and iron skillet were packed however mostly preserved food such as bacon, rice, flour, beans, hard tack, and coffee was in them.
Primary Use: Move food along the westward journey because it took over a 1,000 pounds of food to feed a family with 4 people. The Oregon Trail was the one that usually used however there was the California Trail which left the Oregon Trail in Idaho and headed south to California and the Mormon Trail which went from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Fully Loaded Wagons = 2,500 Pounds
Typical Length = 10 feet and 4 ft width.
Covered wagon A.K.A Prairie Schooners.
Pulled by: Oxen and sometimes mules.
What it was: A major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the USA.
Dates used: Between 1841 and 1869
Starting Point: Independence, Missouri
Ending Point: Oregon City, Oregon
Total Miles: 2,000
Crosses through 6 States:
States Crossed: Missouri, Kansa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon.
Crossing trough terrain like the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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https://www.ducksters.com/biography/explorers/lewis_and_clark.php
Job: Explorers that were to discover and map the wild west of North America, basically they became known as the explores of the Louisiana Territory and Western North America. William Clark was responsible for hiring and training the men. Meriwether Lewis was responsible for gathering the needed equipment and supplies.
Hired By: President Thomas Jefferson.
Where did they explore? Across the USA to the Pacific ocean and back again.
Lewis
Full Name: Meriwether Lewis (Captain)
Previous Job: President Thomas Jefferson's private secretary in charge of the expedition of the Louisiana Territory.
Born: August 18, 1774 in Ivy, Virginia
Died: October 11, 1809 in Hohenwald, Tennessee
&
Clark
Full Name: William Clark (Lieutenant)
Previous Job: Served in the USA Army.
Born: August 1, 1770 in Ladysmith, Virginia
Died: September 1, 1838 in St. Louis, Missouri
Native American interpreter was Sacagawea. Lewis and Clark met Toussaint Charbonneau (fur trapper) and his Shoshone wife Sacagawea when they spent their first winter with the Mandan nation. Sacagawea joined the expedition to help them travel by showing them which plants could be eaten and to keep the peace with different tribes and be able to trade with them. The expedition would have failed without her. Another tribe of natives these mean me occurred after passing the Rockies when they met the Nez Perce people who shared food and shelter with them.
Exploration
Began date: May 14, 1804
In city: St. Louis
How they travelled: They travelled with their team of 40 men (called the Corps of Discovery) in one large boat called a barge and two smaller boats called pirogues. Often they had to carry the boats.
Pack List: Lots of equipment such as rifles, food, warm clothing, many glass beads and trinkets that could be used as trade items with the Natives along the journey.
Date to reach the Pacific: November 1805.
Route Map: They travelled up the Missouri River (today's Montana State) into the Great Falls then the Rocky Mountains and to the Pacific Ocean.
Did you Know?
Lewis and Clark found new animals like the prairie dog and the grizzly bear.
They travelled over 7,000 miles.
Only one member of their team of men died, Sergeant Charles Floyd due to an appendix burst.
When the expedition was complete Lewis was appointed the governor of the Louisiana Territory.
Clark became governor of the Missouri Territory and a Superintendent of Indian Affairs.
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Keeping our researching sources separate the above information was retrieved from the Ducksters.com website and the sheets we referenced for the Westward Expansion in a bundle from the TPT shop of Class Wynn for 3.00USD: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/BUNDLE-Scribble-Notes-Westward-Expansion-4518949 however you can purchase each sheet separately for 1.00USD from her shop and one is free:
The Louisiana Purchase: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scribble-Notes-Lousiana-Purchase-4182895
Lewis and Clark Sheet: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scribble-Notes-Lewis-Clark-4518963
The Oregon Trail: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Oregon-Trail-Scribble-Notes-4182907
Gold Rush Sheet: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scribble-Notes-Gold-Rush-4518931
Interestingly the wagon wheel marks are still available to touch and feel today: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/follow-relics-oregon-trail-180960589/
These are videos that we felt would help those interested in learning more about the four topics that we learnt about:
Louisiana Purchase: https://youtu.be/TN4bFvwW8h4
Lewis and Clark: https://youtu.be/91IbDuiJNdM
Oregon Trail: https://youtu.be/dbjpemcYF7Y
Gold Rush Videos: https://youtu.be/iydRkC0gMZI
This is a lovely free resource for packing a covered wagon during the Oregon trails: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Packing-the-Covered-Wagon-Notebook-Activity-6610252
