*
By: John Mathis
* Content Area: Social Studies
* Grade Level: 8th
* Summary: The purpose of this instructional PowerPoint is to
inform social studies students of Westward expansion in the
United States
* Learning Objective: Students analyze the social, political,
and economic transformation of America as a result of
westward expansion.
* TN State standard(s): 8.92, 8.93, 8.95, 8.96, 8.97, 8.98
* ISTE standard(s): 2. Communication and collaboration, 3.
Research and information fluency, 4. Critical thinking,
problem solving, and decision making , 6. Technology
operations and concepts
* After the civil war, the United States began
expanding west.
*
* While moving west, lands previously owned by
Native Americans were forcively taken the
Native American people were relocated to
other areas.
* Relocating was not done easily and thousands
of Native Americans lost their lives in battles or
while moving.
*
* Notable battles between Indians and settlelers
are: Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee
* Prominent American Indian leaders were Chief
Joseph, Geronimo, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse
* Attempting to Americanize the Indians, the
Dawes Act was passed in 1887.
* Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Crazy Horse and Chief
Joseph were each prominent figures in Native
American resistance against American
government.
* Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull were the final two
Sioux leaders to surrender; both suffered
controversial deaths on reservations.
* Chief Joseph and Geronimo were each leaders
of their armies.
*
* Expansion to the west created new and
revolutionary inventions which greatly assisted
western life.
* Inventions include: windmill, barbwire, six-
shooter pistol, sod housing, and the steel plow
among others.
*
* Barb wire greatly assisted cowboys in retaining
their livestock (and keeping unwanted
predators out)
* In the dry west, steel plows and windmills were
life-sustaining inventions which settlers
utilized to survive.
*Western Inventions
* The country needed a transportation system
that was faster than any previous to connect
both coasts.
* Built between 1863-1869, the railroad spans
1,907 miles.
* Not only passengers, but goods and resources
were transported by the new railroad.
*Transcontinental
Railroad
* Though popularized, the American Cowboy
endured a tough life being underpaid, underthanked but highly valuable laborer.
* Cowboy skills include herding, horseback
riding, and maintaining expansive ranches.
* Clothes worn by cowboys are chaps, boots, hat,
spurs, bandana and always a gun(s)
*
* Cow Towns were towns whose almost entire
economy was derived from trading free-range
cattle.
* These towns were usually laid at the junction
of railroad and livestock trail.
* Cow towns were in prime location to ship
cattle to meatpackers in urban settings.
* For visual, please click arrow to see Cow trails.
*
* Westward expansion (1865-1890) in the United
States brought about much change with helped
shaped the modern country.
*
* Tell a partner something you learned about
Western Expansion.
* Feel free to share your new knowledge with
the classroom.