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Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents:president Jackson's Message to Congress 'On Indian Removal' (1830)

For Students 9th - 10th
On December 6, 1830, President Jackson spoke to Congress about his position on relocating Indians in order to make way for settlers in the west. This paved the way for government policy in dealing with native peoples even after his...
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Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: Primary Source Set: Westward Expansion Teacher's Guide [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
As the United States expanded westward, many cultural groups came into contact with one another, such as Native American tribes, Chinese, and various Europeans. In this set of exercises, students use primary source documents to explore...
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: Lewis & Clark's Expedition to the Complex West

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This activity can be used as an introduction or for a closer study of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Students will learn that the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803 and President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and...
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eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: The Impact of Expansion on Chinese Immigrants and Hispanic Citizens

For Students 11th - 12th
As white populations moved westward in the 19th century, Chinese immigrants and Hispanic Americans faced racism and discrimination and were unable to compete on an equal basis for land. Eventually, both groups settled into urban areas...
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Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: America's History in the Making: Contested Territories

For Students 9th - 10th
This site highlights the westward expansion of settlers in North America and the effects this expansion had on Native Americans between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
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Handout
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: The Last Frontier

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the various forces and events that shaped the expansion of the western frontier in the mid- to late 1800s.
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Handout
Other

Texas Beyond History: Texas and the Western Frontier

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the expansion of the frontier in and around Texas during the middle of the nineteenth century as the Civil War was coming to an end.
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: Reasons for Westward Expansion

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners will examine a variety of documents that reference reasons why Americans living in the East migrated west of the Mississippi immediately before, during, and right after the Civil War. Documents cover the mining industry, new...
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: The Impact of Westward Expansion on Native American Groups

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity, students will examine the impact of westward expansion and settlement on Native American groups following the Civil War. Students will explore a variety of documents to get a sense of the issues faced by Native...
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: The Settlement of the American West

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students will analyze primary sources with an eye for cause-and-effect relationships.They will identify the roles of government policy and technological improvements in the settlement of the West, and explain their impact on Native...