Westward ExpansionBy Grace, Natalie, and Maria

Expansion to Texas, California, and OregonLewis and Clark Expedition

War of 1812

Lewis and Clark

Expedition

When the “Corps of Discovery” arrived in the Mandaa Village they met Sacagawea and her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, a French trapper. At the end of Lewis and Clark’s stay, Sacagawea was recruited to join the expedition. She helped them translate languages, greet foreign people, and navigate, too. Also, she later gave birth to a little boy on the journey.

Lewis and Clark set out on the morning of May 14, 1812 in search of a route to the Pacific and to discover more land. In three boats they took off down the Missouri River. They were well prepared with gifts and plenty of supplies to give out along the way. They called themselves the “Corps of Discovery”. The group consisted of 42 men, ½ of which were soldiers.

Sacagawea

Along the journey, Lewis and Clark kept journals which captivated one of the most important expeditions in history. They wrote about what kind of animals, plants, and Native American Tribes they encountered along the way.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis and Clark’s Journals

The War of 1812 and the Star-Spangled Banner

When the British and the French decided that they didn’t respect the decisions of the Americans, the both of them began taking American ships by force. The British took U.S. soldiers hostage and then made them serve in the British navy. Congress from the North, South, and West wanted to declare war. They hoped to drive the British out of Canada and the French out of Florida. The rich farming lands would be good for American farmers. War was declared in June 1812.

Men faced Native Americans who sided with Britain because they feared the Americans would take their land. Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief and the leader, formed a confederacy of Native Americans in the Ohio River Valley. He urged those in the confederacy not to sell land to settlers. Tecumseh worked with Britain and had several victories. Tecumseh was killed in 1813 at a battle near Detroit. Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Tribe and took over their land. Many fled to Florida and joined Native Americans who later became known as the Seminole.

British troops landed at Chesapeake Bay and began to move toward Washington. Few troops were there to protect it. After burning Washington, D.C., the British moved on to Baltimore, where they attacked Fort McHenry. Lawyer, Francis Scott Keys watched as British cannon fire lit the sky. The battle continue through the night. When dawn broke “our flag was still there.” It was named the Star-Spangled Banner. In 1931 the Star- Spangled Banner became our National Anthem. A National Anthem is a song of praise to a country.Tecumseh

War of 1812

Oregon Trail

First owned by both Great Britain and America, the trail gained popularity when the two countries agreed to split it in 1846. Between 1849 and 1860, more than 300,000 people used the trail, braving the harsh conditions, clinging to the hope that they could find a better life for their families. Many pit stops, such as forts and trading posts, could be found all along the trail.

The Oregon Trail, a vital part of expansion in the 1800’s, enticed travelers to pack up their bags and travel to a promised land, where the gold on the streets glistened and the food almost begged to be eaten; also known as: the West. They glimpsed numerous flyers for harvesters, cleaners, and other jobs like cooks, maids, and butlers. If the Western settlers could hire people to do their chores, they must be rich!

If you examined the Oregon Trail today, you could still see the wagon ruts in the well-worn path on the prairie. The settlers traveled over mountains, endless meadows, and rocky cliffs through scorching heat, freezing cold, dust storms, thunder and lightning, and sometimes, in the summer, warm, cloudy days perfect for travel.

*Marcus and Narcissa Whitman

Oregon Trail

Expansion to Texas

Texas grew in popularity in 1812, when they won their independence from Spain and Mexico took control. Fearing that the Americans would try to drive them out to provide more land for the fast growing America, the new Mexican rulers allowed settlers to buy land for almost no cost at all. The plan to populate Texas to build up their forces worked, and by 1830 the free land perfect for corn, cotton, and cattle attracted hordes of settlers. Even though Mexico didn’t allow slaves,

they permitted the settlers to bring African-Americans to work on their farms. The government felt a bit uneasy about the slaves, but they didn’t want to limit their new citizens, and didn’t punish a single person.

According to Texas law, Americans or other foreign settlers had to change their religion and learn the language of Spanish, so that no one would turn rebel. Most settlers resisted this rule, and weren’t punished because of the weak government. They spoke their language in secret, and held Sunday services in whatever building they could find. The government tried to confront the law-breakers, but they couldn’t find the culprit.

History of Texas

Expansion

Expansion to California

California stands today as the most populated state in America, with over 35 million people. This immense change in population occurred mainly when James Marshall discovered one tiny piece of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848. Word got around in 1849, and miners rushed in from foreign countries, hoping to strike it rich. Because they arrived mostly in this year, others called them “49’ers”.

One ounce of freshly mined gold equaled to about 16 US dollars. The miners could only buy a morsel of food and a cotton blanket for this meager amount of cash. Usually, the merchants selling food attained more money than the miners that worked day and night!

Although some people could barely scrounge a living, others accidentally struck it rich. One man hitchhiked from Pennsylvania to California with nothing but a wheelbarrow, and hiked back with the wheelbarrow and his pockets filled with gold and fancy items. A lady who swept out her cabin discovered 500 dollar when she inspected a glint in her dustpan. A poor man caught a trout in a river for his dinner. He cooked it over a fire in a pan, and when he removed the fish, he found the bottom of the pan covered in gold. Finally, James Marshall, the first man to find gold, died penniless.

Discovering Language Arts: Writing (Grades 3-5). Discovery Channel School. 2005.unitedstreaming. 15 May 2007

United States Expansionism. 100% Educational Videos. 2001.unitedstreaming. 15 May 2007http://www.unitedstreaming.com/

Lewis and Clark Expedition, The. United Learning. 1992.unitedstreaming. 15 May 2007http://www.unitedstreaming.com/

America Under Martin Van Buren, William H. Harrison and John Tyler, 1837-1844: The Panic of 1837, The Oregon Trail, Manifest Destiny. United Learning. 2003.unitedstreaming. 15 May 2007

American Geography Close ups: The Southwestern States Volume 2. Discovery Channel School. 2006.unitedstreaming. 15 May 2007United States Adventures in Time and Place By Macmillan www.unitedstreaming.comwww.pbs.org/lewisandclarkwww.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/whitman.htmwww.lewis-clark.org/www.nieh.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/spangle.htmwww.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumsehhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Texas

Bibliography/Webliography