Primary Sources of Westward Expansion

Starting with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States more than doubled in size in less than seventy years. By 1867, a railroad connected the East Coast to the new acquisitions in the West. This series sets the historical stage for the expansions, and presents the laws, doctrines, and decrees that sparked the fulfillment of Manifest Destiny. Through the use of primary sources, it also introduces to students the men and women?free, slave, and foreign-born?who played key roles in the growth of the US, and those who were disenfranchised by that growth.

Each Book Contains

? A map showing the territory absorbed by the United States.

? A timeline of the Westward Expansion juxtaposed against other world events.

? A sidebar on a major event that occurred outside the country and how it affected expansion in the United States.

? Primary sources quotes and photographs that bring these historic events to life.

Curriculum Connection

? Excerpts from historical documents and first-hand accounts put the Westward Expansion in easy-to-understand context for today?s readers.

? Cultural diversity is celebrated through the contributions of all the people who made contributions to the expansion, as well as through the eyes of the people whose lives were inexorably changed by it.

? Standards-based content in history and geography promotes critical thinking skills as readers assess cultures and the way they affected the events that shaped the United States.