Westward Expansion

Westward
Expansion
Chapter 12
Name: ___________________
Period: _______

Chapter 12: Westward Expansion
Theme: By the 1840s, America had begun dreaming of a nation that spanned from the
Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This dream was called Manifest Destiny. By
1850, this dream became a reality. Through the annexation of what is today Texas, a treaty
with Great Britain, and a war fought against the new nation of Mexico, the United States
became a continental nation. Throughout this time period, waves of settlers moved west along
the Oregon and Santa Fe trails in search of land, opportunity, and even gold.
The study of history often includes the perspectives of several different groups
of people. These perspectives can be similar to each other or completely different, depending
on the person’s upbringing, societal status, or geography. Often times an issue is so polarizing
that many different opinions are formed. In this unit you will research and begin to understand
the reasons why Westward Expansion evoked these powerful feelings.
Objectives: At the end of this unit:
- Students must be able to read maps and distinguish names and places on that map.
- Students will understand the pros and cons of Westward Expansion, the Oregon Trail, and the
California Gold Rush of 1849, Texas Independence, and the Mexican War.
- Students will analyze documents for relevancy and meaning.
- Each student will choose three (3) groups they wish to write a point of view letter from.
- Students will explain and describe the concept of Manifest Destiny
Chapter Outline:
1. The Oregon Trail
2. Manifest Destiny and James K. Polk
3. The Settlement of Texas and Texas Independence
4. “Remember the Alamo”
5. The Mexican War
6. The Gold Rush of 1849
7. DBQ
Probable Time Frame: 2 weeks with DBQ: DBQ writing in class is 4/13 – 4/15
Over Spring Break, you WILL need to type a final draft of your DBQ to be due on Monday, 4/25
Next Unit: Chapter 13/14: Life in the North and South
1.

2.
Oregon Trail & California Gold Rush Notes
By the 1840s President John Quincy Adams, and many Americans, felt that it was the clear or
obvious right, or __________________ of the United States to possess all of the land spanning from
the Eastern seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. This attitude of self-determination led to an interest in
exploring and settling the lands west of the Mississippi River.
Why Move West?
Push & Pull Factors
Push
1. __________________________
2. __________________________
3. __________________________
Pull
1. _________________________
2. _________________________
3. _________________________
4. _________________________
The Oregon Trail
Pros & Cons of the Oregon Trail
Pros
1. _____________________________
2._____________________________
3. _____________________________
Cons
1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________

California Gold Rush of 1849
About 50,000 to 60,000 Americans _________________ from the east to California in search of gold
Most, however, never found any! What happened to them? What would you have done?...
Vigilantism
Many gold prospectors that could not find gold resorted to ______________________.
This is most likely when how the term ______________________ came to be.
3.

14.
Questions for Gold Prospectors Station
1. In the article Shufelt describes several push AND pull factors. Name and
describe why, for each type of factor.
2. According to the quote, was getting gold (when you could find it!!!) easy or
hard?
3. You see this headline in your morning paper; do you want to go…west?
Why or why not?

Questions for Factory Worker’s Station
1. Describe working conditions in factories based on the article on the
Industrial Revolution.
2. Look at the picture; explain why you would want to move from here to the
west?
3. “Go west young man…” is Horace Greely’s famous quote; what does he
mean by “grow up with the country?”
15.

16.
Questions for Native Station
1. In Chief Joseph’s speech, he says how the white man and Native Americans
can live together in harmony….according to Chief Joseph how is this
possible?
2. Why does Sitting Bull not want to sell Indian land to the white settlers?
3. What activity are the Native Americans participating in, in this painting?
How would encroachment by whites affect this activity?

The Questions for Mexican Station
1. From a dramatization of the Battle of the Alamo, this picture shows what?
2. What was one of the major problems for Texans?
3. According to the article about the Battle of the Alamo, what was the
Mexican reaction to the beginning of the battle? Why did Santa Anna
attack?
4. During the Mexican War, how did people in the US, especially soldiers, feel
towards the conflict?
17.

18.
Questions for Texas Slaveholders Station
1. According to the article, what method was used to decide whether or not a
new state was free or slave?
2. What does popular sovereignty mean?
3. Looking at the map, where did slavery concentrate in Texas?
4. Based on what you know about Texas geography, why does slavery
concentrate here?
5. According to the quote, why would you move to Texas?

Questions for Texas Slavery Station
1. According to the quote why are the American Civil War & the Texas
Independence movement similar?
2. What does Sam Houston say about slavery in this article?
3. How does Houston make slavery seem like its needed?
4. Explain what this political cartoon means. (reminder: Read all captions on
political cartoons)
19.