Why did the U.S. move to the West?

As we examine the westward expansion, think about the causes and effect of the territorial expansion of the new country and republic that is the United States in the late 18th and 19th centuries.  Pay very close attention to the political, cultural, and the environmental consequences of the expansion.  What can we learn from this expansionary period to the contemporary?

Here are some primary and secondary sources to use for research for your Westward Expansion worksheet.

• Milestones in the History of the U.S. Foreign Relations, Office of the Historian
• You can select a specific period to study or search.  For example, you can find more information about the following (click on the links below):
• 1801 - 1829
• The Louisiana Purchase
• Acquisition of Florida
• 1830 - 1860
• The Oregon Territory
• The Annexation of Texas, the Mexican American War, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
• Gadsden Purchase

Discussion point: Protection or New World Colonization

• War of 1812 - 1815
• Monroe Doctrine, 1823
• Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830