Finding high-quality Westward Expansion primary sources for kids can take a lot of time and effort. However, great primary sources are a worthwhile teaching tool!
In order to save you time (because we all know time is the most precious teacher resource!), I’ve created lists of kid-friendly primary sources.
Primary sources are an awesome way to help students connect with the past and bring history to life in the classroom!
Below are 6 excellent Westward Expansion primary sources for kids. I’ve also provided class discussion questions and links to relevant resources to help you use these primary sources in your classroom today!
“Our Hearts are Sickened”: Letter from Chief John Ross of the Cherokee (1836)
“…We are stripped of every attribute of freedom and eligibility for legal self-defence. Our property may be plundered before our eyes; violence may be committed on our persons; even our lives may be taken away, and there is none to regard our complaints. …We have neither land nor home, nor resting place that can be called our own…”
Description of Primary Source:
In 1836, Chief John Ross wrote a letter to Congress demanding justice for the Cherokee Nation. In the letter, Ross declares that the Treaty of Echota (1835), in which a minority Cherokee faction agreed to cede territory to the U.S., is fraudulent. Ross explains that the Cherokee signers were not official delegates and had no power to negotiate the treaty. Ross begs Congress to disregard the treaty and meet instead with actual Cherokee leaders.
The U.S. Government did not listen to Chief John Ross. In the end, the fraudulent Treaty of New Echota was enforced and the Cherokee were forcibly removed from their lands. The 1000-mile march came to be called Trail of Tears because more than 4,000 Cherokee died of starvation and disease.
Class Discussion Questions:
- Who wrote this letter?
- Who received this letter?
- What is the main idea of the letter?
- How do you think the letter was received?
- What emotions does the author convey?
- Where could you find out more about John Ross?
Resources for this Primary Source:
- Download this 1836 letter (History Matters)
- Photograph of John Ross from 1866 (Digital Library of America)
- Worksheet for analyzing a written document (Archives.org)
American Progress Painting (1872)
Description of Primary Source:
This painting was popular in the 19th century. In fact, copies were printed in travel guides for settlers going west. The painting is an allegory, or symbolic story, for Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny is the 19th-century idea that it was America’s God-given right to settle North America.
In Gast’s painting, the flying woman represents America. In her hands, she holds a book and telegraph wires. These items symbolize education and new technology. The woman appears to be moving settlers to the West. As she does so, the sky changes from dark to light. Gast painted Native Americans and animals running away from the settlers.
The ideas in this painting represent the way many settlers felt about their destiny to settle the American West, regardless of who was already living there.
Class Discussion Questions:
- What is the first thing you notice in this painting?
- What smaller things do you notice in this painting?
- When do you think this painting was created?
- Why do you think this painting was created?
- What do you think the woman in the center of the painting represents?
- How do you think the creator of this painting feels about Westward Expansion?
Resources for this Primary Source:
- Download a print of the painting (Library of Congress)
- Worksheet for analyzing artwork (National Archives)
I Will Go West! Song (1875)
Description of Primary Source:
This song was written in 1875 and shows how many Americans believed that moving west would improve their lives. This Westward Expansion primary source includes many examples of idealization of the American West.
The verses include complaints about the author’s current hardships associated with living in Eastern America. These include financial strains, unsafe conditions, and food shortages. The verses also include some of the reasons for moving west, including farming opportunities and increased safety.
Class Discussion Questions:
- What kind of document is this?
- How many verses does this song have?
- What do the verses have in common?
- In what time period was this song written?
- How does the creator of this song feel about the West?
Resources for this Primary Source:
- Download the sheet music (Library of Congress)
- Worksheet for analyzing a written document (National Archives)
- Worksheet for analyzing sheet music (Library of Congress
- Lyric video (HSG, YouTube)
Map of the United States Including Western Territories (1848)
Description of Primary Source:
President James K. Polk ordered this map in December 1848. The map shows existing states, territories, and proposed territories at that time. It represents how Polk thought these territories should be divided up.
This primary source shows the large amounts of land gained during Westward Expansion, including the new Texas border along the Rio Grande river and the northern Oregon Territory border. These land additions were key to fulfilling Manifest Destiny and expanding Westward. Plentiful, cheap land was a big reason why people wanted to move west!
I recommend viewing this Westward Expansion primary source at the link below so students can zoom in and see details. This is also a great opportunity to compare this map to a current map of the United States. This can be done with a Venn diagram (see free Past and Present Venn Diagram below).
Class Discussion Questions:
- What part of the world does the map show?
- When was this map created?
- How does this map look different than our current US map?
- Why do you think this map was created?
Resources for this Primary Source:
- Download and access the map (DocsTeach)
- Student worksheet for analyzing a map (National Archives)
- Free Past and Present Venn Diagram (Print and Google Slides versions included)
Millions of Acres Advertisement (1872)
Description of Primary Source:
This flyer was printed by the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Co. in 1872. It shows the appeal of moving west for many Americans, including affordable land and new opportunities.
In addition to the cheap, abundant land advertised in the flyer, it also shows a drawing of the wide-open spaces available in the American West. It’s not hard to see why the West would have appealed to many Americans during this time.
Class Discussion Questions:
- What kind of document is this?
- Are there words/phrases that stand out?
- What is being advertised in the poster?
- Why do you think the author made this poster?
- What ideas about the West does this poster express?
Resources for this Primary Source:
- Download this poster (Library of Congress)
- Worksheet for analyzing a poster (National Archives)
North Platte Print (1859)
Description of Primary Source:
Lastly, this drawing by Daniel Jenks is a simple but powerful Westward Expansion primary source. The print shows two covered wagons being ferried across the Platte River in Wyoming, where Jenks traveled himself on his journey west. Also featured is the open land with trees and a small camp set up on the bank of the river.
This drawing shows a small snapshot of what life would have been like for those moving west. People moving west had to figure out how to get their wagons across rivers and mountains like those in the picture. The land was mostly wild, and the journey was often difficult and dangerous.
Class Discussion Questions:
- What kind of artwork is this?
- What are the people in the drawing doing?
- Where do you think the people in the drawing are?
- Who do you think created the drawing?
- Why do you think the artist drew this?
Resources for this Primary Source:
- Download the artwork (Library of Congress)
- Access the online version (so you can zoom in)
Want a FREE Westward Expansion Map Lesson?
I hope these Westward Expansion primary sources are helpful to you. Are you looking for more materials to help bring this era to life in your classroom? You may be interested in a free lesson from my 3-week Westward Expansion Unit.
In this lesson, students map and compare U.S. territorial acquisitions from 1783 to 1853. This lesson can be printed or assigned via Google Classroom.
Enter your email below to grab your free Westward Expansion Maps Lesson.
More Lessons for Teaching About Westward Expansion
You may also be interested in my 3-week Westward Expansion Unit. It includes lessons on key Westward Expansion topics such as Manifest Destiny, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the Oregon Trail.
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