United States
Geography
How River
Systems and
Land Forms
affect our lives
1.
Water Features of the US
Mississippi River (discovered by the French) Used as major highway north
and south. Named for the Native American tribe, the Mississippi’s.
2.
Missouri River (Major east and west water way to the Great
Northwest…traveled by Lewis and Clark).
3.
Ohio River ( creates a fertile valley that both the French and English
wanted… led to the “French and Indian War” between these two European
countries.
Hudson River ( Hudson River Valley important to early colonist for looking for
a way to the west).
4.
5.
Erie Canal (man made water system connecting the Great Lakes and Ohio
River Valley to the New York and the Atlantic Ocean).
6.
Gulf of Mexico ( Highway for Spanish and French exploration and
transporting of gold to Spain from Mexico).
7.
Atlantic Ocean ( brought many colonists from England, traders from France,
and soldiers for fortune from Spain). Also brought new religious cultures, and
devastating diseases to the Native Americans.
8.
Pacific Ocean ( goal of many American following the “American Revolution).
Wanted to expand the United States westward….Manifest Destiny.
Mississippi River
Mississippi River
• Most important river
system in the United
States
• Flows from
Minnesota to Gulf of
Mexico – New
Orleans
• Major water route
for shipping and
trade to interior of
US
• Makes trade easier,
faster, and cheaper
Take out your US Map
• You will now begin mapping in the water
sources
• Use your map rules…label in print, write
in a straight line from L to R, use black
ink or pencil only.
• Use colors (map pencil only)
• Take your time to be accurate
Map in the Mississippi
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Missouri River
Missouri
River
Mississippi
River
Missouri and Mississippi Rivers
Missouri River
• Called the Big Muddy
• Heavy load of silt in the water
• Parts of the Gulf of Mexico are muddy because the
Missouri flows into the Mississippi
• Provides faster, cheaper ways to trade and move
goods and people
Map in the Missouri
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Ohio River
Ohio River
Permanent and obvious boundary between states
reducing land conflict in the area.
Ohio River Valley desirable as an ideal place to
fish, farm, and trade
Source of conflict due to desirable land
Map in the Ohio
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Mississippi River
http://www.epa.gov/msbasin/
Hudson River
Hudson River
Hudson River
• Links New York to the Great Lakes
• Now runs through the largest city in the
US!).
• Provided a natural water route for the
timber and beaver (fur)rich areas of the
Northeast.
• Used by natives, early Dutch, and English
explorers and settlers
• Today: it is used as a MAJOR inexpensive
trade and transportation route
Map in the Hudson
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Erie Canal
• Man made waterway,
• AKA Clinton’s Big Ditch
• connected the important trade center of New York
City, with the developing farmlands west of the
Appalachian Mountains.
• Allowed farmers to ship their goods, via the Great
Lakes, to eastern markets quickly and cheaply.
• Created westward expansion by allowing settlers to
move through the once impenetrable Appalachian
Mountains.
Map in the Erie Canal
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Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
• Borders the
southeast coast
of the United
States
• Large OIL
deposits.
• Settlement in
this area
because of the
natural harbors
allowing easy
trade and
transportation
Map in the Gulf of Mexico
Color in the area
of the Gulf of
Mexico and Label
it
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5
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Gulf of
Mexico
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North
America
Europe
Africa
South
America
Atlantic
Ocean
Atlantic ocean
Atlantic Ocean
•to the warm, sandy
beaches of Georgia
and Florida
• Second largest ocean in
the world and is
• located east of the
United States.
• It runs from the cold,
rocky coasts of New
England (Maine to New
Jersey)
Map in the Atlantic Ocean
Color in the area
of the Atlantic
Ocean and label it
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5
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Atlantic
7
Ocean
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Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
• Largest ocean in the world
• Borders the west coast of the United
States from California to Washington
and Oregon states.
• The Pacific coastline is mostly rocky with
high, rough seas
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Pacific
Ocean
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5
2
3
Color in the area
of the Pacific
Ocean and label it
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Land Features of the US
• The Great Plains- Provides fertile
lands for crops and livestock.
• Appalachian Mountains – play an
important role in early development
of the English Colonies, prevents
movement westward.
• Rocky Mountains- a natural barrier
for settlers heading west to
overcome.
Great Plains
The Great PlainsProvides fertile lands
for crops and
livestock.
The Great Plains
Map in the Great Plains
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Take your time
to draw in the
area correctly…
look at where
the borders are…
and label it
Great Plains
• Once covered by a huge
inland sea
• Remains of fish and
animals of that sea
created a very rich
sediment layer at the lake
floor.
• Soil was uncovered as the
water drained, it became a
very rich source for
agriculture
Appalachian Mountains
• Largest mountains on the east coast of the
United States.
• High enough to collect snow in the winter,\
•
“snow melt” becomes fresh water in the spring
and forms into springs and rivers
• which run down the mountain sides providing
drinking water and water for agriculture
irrigation
• Impenetrable natural border for early settlers
Map in the Appalachians
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Rocky Mountains
• Tallest and and
longest mountain
range in the United
States.
• Stretch from
Texas to Canada.
• Europeans
explorers unable to
cross Rockies
• Much of the
mountain range is
too cold for
permanent
settlement
Map in the Rocky Mountains
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