Westward Expansion! America expands west!

Think about it… If your family was moving across to country to a place where there was NOTHING in the place where you were moving…no houses or stores or anything…what ten things would you definitely pack and why? What qualities do you think a pioneer should have? List three and explain.

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny The belief that it was natural and the “obvious fate” of the United States to expand and take over territories west of the Mississippi River, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Before and after…

Where did they go? Most pioneers left their homes in the east and headed westward to the Great Plains in the west The Great Plains is a huge area of grassland between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains

How did they travel? Wagons! Most families packed up their valuables and their necessities in a covered wagon Groups of wagons called “wagon trains” often traveled together Family members took turns riding in wagons and walking beside the wagons Captains often led these “trains”

What dangers did they face? Lack of food, water, and shelter Lack of protection from the weather (floods, storms) Lack of medical care Exposure to Native Americans who felt threatened by the presence of settlers Conflict with other settlers- they sometimes were competing for the same land and resources (water, animals, trees). Sometimes small “range wars” broke out. These were feuds between neighboring settlers.

The road west https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHSBZx3upPo