Manifest Destiny and Territorial Expansion
Between 1783 and 1853, the United States expanded from a small nation hugging the Atlantic coastline to a nation that spread across North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
- Students will understand how and why the American people applied the concept of Manifest Destiny to their westward expansion.
- Students will investigate how the United States interacted with the ‘foreign’ people they encountered as they expanded westward (Native American and Hispanic populations.)
- Students will research the process, timing, and circumstances behind US territorial acquisition.
Introduction
Spend 15 minutes exploring this GIS Map of Westward Expansion
Read the following: Yawp: Manifest Destiny (just read the explanations of the documents; you do not have to read the individual documents).
At the end of this unit, create either a political cartoon or a logo that captures the concept of Manifest Destiny. [This should be done after you complete the map exercise below.]
Explore the following timeline on the process of American westward expansion: The Map as History.
Read the following: Yawp: Manifest Destiny (just read the explanations of the documents; you do not have to read the individual documents).
At the end of this unit, create either a political cartoon or a logo that captures the concept of Manifest Destiny. [This should be done after you complete the map exercise below.]
Explore the following timeline on the process of American westward expansion: The Map as History.
John Gast, American Progress, 1872. Wikipedia.
US Expansion (1783-1853)
Major Territories Gains
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Minor Territories Gains
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Required Information for Each Entry
- From whom did we get the territory?
- When did we get it?
- Under what circumstances did we acquire it?
- Which States did it eventually become?
Map Excercise
Annotated Map Tools
Google Maps API (Advanced-- requires coding)