
American History, Western Expansion for Kids
Western Expansion for Kids
By 1850, America had acquired land all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Many Americans decided to leave their homes in the east, and go west, in search of new opportunities and new adventures. There were many reasons people decided to move. People were moving into the eastern states from Europe. Some Americans had trouble finding a good job. Developing cities created crowding that was becoming a problem in the east. People wanted to escape from the cities. Some were escaping creditors or the law. Some received letters from family or friends who had moved west, talking about how wonderful life was on the frontier. Some wanted a better life for themselves and their families. Some, convinced that God wanted them to spread the ideals of the American people, and feeling superior to Mexicans, British, and Native Americans, packed up, joined a wagon train, and headed west.
Still others, and probably the biggest reason people moved west, was the opportunity to buy land. Land had become expensive in the east. But land could be purchased in the west for much less. By the mid 1860s, land could be obtained nearly for free by using the Homestead Act, and filing for ownership of 160 acres of unoccupied and surveyed Federal Land. All you had to do was build a house, plant crops, and live on the land for five consecutive years. After five years, you could file with the government and show you had satisfied the rules, and the land would become your property.
So, for many different reasons, people began to move west.
First: Setting up the new government, Jefferson and the New Republic
Then: The Louisiana Purchase - more land is added to the nation
Lewis & Clark - explorers pave the way to the west
War of 1812 & The Star Spangled Banner
Life as a Pioneer - Why move west?
Life on the Oregon Trail, Wagon Trains
Indian Removal, Trail of Tears
The Alamo 1836, The Texas Revolution
Mexican - American War 1846-1848
Coming of the Railroad - The Transcontinental Railroad
Project Ideas for the American Western Movement for Kids and Teachers

Explore American History
For Kids and Teachers
Creating a New Nation
- New World Explorers
- Native Americans in Olden Times
- The 13 Colonies
- Road to Revolution
- The American Revolution
Creating a New Government
Western Expansion
- Jefferson and theNew Republic
- Louisiana Purchase
- Lewis & Clark
- War of 1812
- Monroe Doctrine
- Manifest Destiny
- The Oregon Trail
- Wagon Trains
- Pioneer Life & Frontier Life
- Trail of Tears
- The Alamo 1836, Texas Revolution
- Mexican - American War 1846-1848
- Gold Rush
Brink of the Storm and the Civil War
- Events Leading up to the American Civil War
- The Industrial Revolution
- American Civil War - 1861-1865
- People of the Civil War - Lincoln, Davis, Grant, Lee, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Dred Scott and more
- 13th Amendment ending slavery forever
- Reconstruction, Carpetbaggers & Scalawags
- 14th & 15th Amendments
Growth in the West
The Nation Grows
World War I, The Great War
The Roaring 20s
The Great Depression
World War II
Slavery in America
Segregation for Kids - Civil Rights
US Holidays
QUIZZES - Interactive, with Answers for Student Review
For Teachers
Free for Classroom Use - American History Powerpoints and Presentations
American History Lesson Plans, Units, Activities, Projects for Teachers