Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Eighth graders explore the components of the Westward Movement in the United States. Understanding the past and the linkages it has to the present is the intended goal of this seventeen day unit.
Discovering Lewis & Clark
Discovering Lewis & Clark: Hunters and Hunting
This section of the larger website Discovering Lewis & Clark examines hunters and hunting on the expedition.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Utah History Encyclopedia
This is a resource about the state of Utah. Includes images and articles on everything from geology to famous people in the state.
Digital History
Digital History: America's Manifest Destiny [Pdf]
After a brief discussion of Manifest Destiny in other parts of country, read about the Texas rebellion against Mexico, the battles against Santa Anna, and the treaties that made Texas an independent country. [pdf]
CGFA
Carol Gerten Fine Arts: Albert Bierstadt
This museum article provides fifteen thumbnail images of Albert Bierstadt's paintings are available for enlarging, with biographical information on a separate page.
Alberta Online Encyclopedia
Alberta Online Encyclopedia: The Hudson's Bay Company's Monopoly (1821 1850)
Learn about the Hudson's Bay Company monopoly of the fur trade in Western Canada from 1821-1850. This Alberta Online Encyclopedia article has pictures, hot links to important terms and a Listen link that features audio from the Heritage...
PBS
The West: William Bent (1809 1869)
From PBS New Perspectives on the West comes this biography on William Bent that discusses his life as a trader at Bent's Fort in Colorado in the early 1800s.
Other
American Mountain Men: Mountain Men and the Fur Trade
On-line research center features numerous resources dedicated to the history of the Mountain Men in the American West. This project includes primary sources, images, maps, artwork, newspaper articles, artifacts, and links to related...
Library of Congress
Loc: Teachers: Journeys West
A series of lessons utilizing primary texts, including narratives, photographs, and maps, through which students explore the following question: "What motivated thousands of people to journey west during the 1800s?"
Digital History
Digital History: Mountain Men
The life of the fur trappers and traders was harsh, and fur, as a valuable commodity, was short-lived. Read about the effect the traders had on life in the West.