The document discusses the key factors that influenced westward expansion in the United States, including geographic obstacles, technologies, policies, and the social and economic impacts. It addresses how physical features, climate, resources, railroads, and the Homestead Act affected travel and settlement. It also examines conflicts between miners, farmers, ranchers, and various ethnic groups, as well as the effects of expansion on Native Americans, including land disputes, warfare, and changes in federal policy.

1. WESTWARD EXPANSION
Standard 5-2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of
the continued westward expansion of the United States.
5-2.1 Analyze the geographic and economic factors that influenced westward
expansion and the ways that these factors affected travel and settlement,
including physical features of the land; the climate and natural resources; land
ownership and other economic opportunities
5-2.2 Summarize how technologies (such as railroads, the steel plow and barbed
wire), federal policies (such as subsidies for the railroads and the Homestead
Act), and access to natural resources affected the development of the West.
5-2.3 Identify examples of conflict and cooperation between occupational and
ethnic groups in the West, including miners, farmers, ranchers, cowboys, Mexican
and African Americans, and European and Asian immigrants
5-2.4 Explain the social and economic efforts of westward expansion on Native
Americans, including opposing views on land ownership, Native American
displacement, the impact of the railroad on the culture of the Plains Indians,
armed conflict, and changes in federal policy.

2.  http://app.discoveryeducation.com/core:player/view/assetGui
d/E7002DEE-1C06-493D-BADD-7DAD2DA686AB

3. OBSTACLES
OF THE WEST

4. Mountain Ranges,
rivers, and deserts
formed obstacles
OBSTACLES OF THE WEST
Why do
you think
these were
obstacles?

5. Pioneers traveled to
beginning points which
became known as the
“Gateway to the West.”
St. Louis was a famous
starting point.
From there they traveled
by covered wagons
across trails that Native
Americans had used.
COVERED WAGONS

6. PHOTOS OF THE DIFFICULTIES
TRAVELING WEST
Can you imagine?

7.  Explorers and mountain men followed the Native
American trails and wrote guidebooks to help show
the way to pioneers who came afterwards
 These trails were traveled often, which created a
well defined trail.
 After the Civil War, the transcontinental railroad
provided a way for those who had the money to
travel to the West.
OTHER WAYS OF TRAVELING
WEST
The first
Transcontinental
Railroad

8. Migrants first settled on the
west coast and skipped over
the Great Plains.
The Great Plains were called
the “Great American
Desert,” because it was flat
and dry land. Migrants did
not realize the potential for
farming.

9. DISCUSS WITH YOUR
GROUP:
How were people able to
travel to the West?

11. Travelers to the West had to
travel the plains, major
rivers, and the Rocky
Mountains.
The major river systems of
the West:
Mississippi
Columbia
Colorado
Snake River

13. RIVERS IN WEST

14. Trails through the
mountains were often
impassable during
spring rains and
winter snows, so
travelers had to leave
St. Louis in time to
avoid these conditions

15. The climate of the West was also a challenge to both
travelers and settlers. Weather was unpredictable (storms,
tornadoes).
OBSTACLES CONTINUE
ONCE IN THE WEST
Cause Effect
Hot, dry summers Drought, dust storms,
tons of insects
Snowy winters Spring floods
Early snow or late
spring hailstorms
Crops would ruin, lives
destroyed

16. CLIMATE
Winter
Bitter cold
Deadly
blizzard
Spring
Tornadoes
Hailstorms
Flooding
Summer
Blazing heat
Little rain
Fall
Dried
grasses
Fires

17. When would you have
wanted to travel to the west?
Why?
Talk with a friend!

18.  Based on what you, your partner, & the class discussed, respond in
writing… but think a little deeper this time.
When would you have wanted to travel to the
west? Why?
 Discuss the weather and challenges you may have faced. How
would you have gotten there? Explain in detail.
You have 10 minutes for a quick write.
RESPOND IN YOUR NOTES WITH THIS
QUICK WRITE:

20. TECHNOLOGY
OF THE WEST

21. Let’s create a chart for “Technology of the
West” to use for the next slides.
Technology What it did How it helped Picture
Railroads
Steel
Plow
Windmill
Mechanic
al Reaper

22. Technology helped create
the plains into the
“Breadbasket of the
country.”
The development of plows
and irrigation systems
helped with farming.
Development of Railroads
TECHNOLOGY
Let’s come up
with a motion to
remember this

23. STEEL PLOW
helps cultivate the hard packed earth
Let’s come up
with a motion to
remember this

24. WINDMILL
brings scarce water to the surface
Let’s come up
with a motion to
remember this

25. MECHANICAL REAPER
gathers the crops at harvest
Let’s come up
with a motion to
remember this

26. Windmill
Steel Plow
Railroad
Mechanical
Reaper
MATCH THEM UP!
Gathers the crops at
harvest
Helps cultivate the land
Brings water to the
surface
Helped people travel to
the west and
import/export cattle,
people, or crops

28. TRANSCONTINENTAL
RAILROAD

29. TRANSCONTINENTAL
RAILROAD

30. TRANSCONTINENTAL
RAILROAD

32. encouraged trade and economic
growth
provided western farmers with a
means of getting their crops to
market
Cash crops(corn and wheat) became
profitable as did the raising of
cattle and hogs
transported products to processing
centers
helped major industries (flour
milling) and meat processing
develop in cities
WHAT WERE SOME EFFECTS OF THE
TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD?

33. tracks had an impact on
natural environment
coal burning engines
required more and more fuel
led to an increase in mining
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
ENVIRONMENT?
Pollution –
As industries developed, smoke from
factories and wastes from processing
plants polluted the air.

35. Conflict in
the West

36. Ranchers & Cowboys
European Immigrants
African American
Mexican Immigrants
Asian Immigrants
Native Americans
DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE
IN THE WEST

37. RANCHERS AND COWBOYS
Cooperated to develop the
cattle industry
Ranchers owned the animals,
cowboys drove the herds
Cowboys drove herds:
- Across open plains
- To the nearest railroad to ship
cattle to processing plants in
the east
Rustlers – people known for trying to steal cattle from cowboys
Townspeople didn’t care for the
cowboys & ranchers
After Civil War –
farmers settled &
fenced in their land
and animals (which
messed up the cattle
drives)
Cowboys hated fences
Some fences were made
from barbed wire
Eventually the idea
of “cattle drives” died
out while farming
became a top priority

38. Southwestern part of US and
California coast had both belonged to
Spain and then Mexico until the
Mexican War in the 1840s
Mexicans - owned property
After war, Mexicans were
discriminated against & many lost
title to their land
MEXICAN AMERICANS

39. discrimination in the South
eager to move west
After the Civil War, many
moved west in hopes of
owning their own land
Exodusters - encouraged to
move to Kansas
primarily settled in
Nicodemus, Kansas
AFRICAN AMERICANS

40.  many were too poor to
move to the West and
stayed in industrial
cities of the East and
Midwest
 Many settled with
others from their home
countries
EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS
• resented by those who had
been born in the United
States (nativism)
• formed communities that
engaged in cooperative
activities, such as barn
raisings
• helped each other to be
successful in this new
land

41.  searching for gold
 built transcontinental railroads
 Chinese workers laid rails from west to east
 paid less
 discrimination at work sites because of their unique culture
 presence was tolerated
 attempted to compete with white men in mining and services
 competition for scarce resources and jobs led to increasing
prejudices against the Chinese
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……...
 US government would later pass a law excluding the Chinese from
entrance as immigrants to the United States
ASIAN IMMIGRANTS

42. In the early stages,
Native Americans
welcomed and
cooperated with
explorers of the West.
It all changed when rich
mineral deposits were
discovered on some
reservations. This drove
more settlers out West.
NATIVE AMERICANS

43.  Native Americans
tried to resist/fight
back these groups that
were on their land, but
conflict eventually led
to a series of Indian
Wars
 Native Americans
said the land was not
suitable for farming &
wanted to keep their
traditional way of life

44.  In the second half of the 1800s,
farmers and miners claimed the land
of Native Americans that they
believed was theirs.
 Native Americans were pushed onto
smaller reservations and some tribes
went to war against the settlers and
soldiers.

45.  Sand Creek Massacre
was one that claimed
the lives of Native
American women and
children.
 Once silver was
discovered in the
Black Hills, the
Native Americans
were driven out.

47. Social and economic
effects of westward
expansion

48. http://app.discoveryeducation
.com/search?Ntt=transcontine
ntal+railroad
THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD

49.  iron rails became damaged by
herds of bison
 owners of the railroad hired
riflemen & shot animals doing
damage
 The bison population decreased,
which greatly affected the life of
the Native Americans because they
depended heavily on the animal!!
TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD

50. What all do you see in this picture?

52. FINAL THOUGHTS OF
SOCIAL/ECONOMIC
EFFECTS OF NATIVE
AMERICANS

53. The treaties between the US
government and Native
Americans granting them
reservations on their tribal
land were often not honored
or recognized by the

54. The Battle of Little Bighorn resulted in
Native Americans being forced off their
land due to the discovery of gold. This
war was between the Native Americans
and the US army, which created public
support for a much larger military that
crushed Native American resistance in
the area.
BATTLE OF LITTLE BIGHORN

55. One tribe tried to flee to Canada
until the US Army had them
surrounded. They were promised to
be allowed to return to Oregon, but
the Army did not keep their
promise and they were forced to
Oklahoma.

56.  In Wounded Knee, South Dakota,
the US soldiers killed 300 men,
women, and children.
 Native American tribes sent to
new reservations had trouble
adapting their culture to the new
lands.
 Poverty, starvation, and
depression were common on the

58.  Reformers tried to make Native
Americans give up their ways and
adopt the “white man” culture.
 They turned these reservations
into farms and they failed.

59.  Reformers also believed the
children should learn the ways of
the “white man.” They were taken
from their families and sent to
boarding schools far away. They
were taught to speak English and
their hair was cut.

60. As a result of a civil rights
movement among the Native
Americans, the culture is being
preserved and their rights
honored. Life is still very hard
and many Native Americans
live in poverty.