Westward Expansion

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
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