Describe how the construction of canals, roads, and railways in the 19th century helped the United States to expand westward.

Give examples of some of the ways the United States acquired new states (beyond the 13 original states) and additional territories between 1791 and 1898, including purchasing land called the Louisiana Territory from France, adding territory in the Southwest as a result of war with Mexico, settling a treaty with Britain to gain land called the Oregon Territory in the Northwest, purchasing Alaska from Russia, annexing Hawaii, and adding territories such as Puerto Rico as a result of a war with Spain.

Compare different reasons why men and women who lived in the Eastern part of the United States wanted to move West in the 19th century, and describe aspects of pioneer life on the frontier (e.g., wagon train journeys on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, and settlements in the western territories). 

Explain that many different groups of people immigrated to the United States from other places voluntarily and some were brought to the United States against their will (as in the case of African enslaved people). 

Using resources such as print and online atlases, topographical maps, or road maps, construct a map of the United States that shows important cities, state capitals, physical features (e.g., waterways and mountains), and that includes a title, scale, compass, and map key. 

Show understanding that in the middle of the 19th century, the people of the United States were deeply divided over the question of slavery and its expansion into newly settled parts of the West, which led to the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Clarification Statement: This brief explanation of westward expansion sets the stage for studying regions and is intended to be very introductory. Students will learn more about the causes and consequences of the Civil War in grade 5 and will revisit the topics of sectional differences among states and the concept of Manifest Destiny in United States History I and II.

The Northeast 

1. On a political map of the United States, locate the states in the Northeast (listed alphabetically: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont).

2. Explain the benefits in the 18th century of becoming a state in the United States (as opposed to a British colony) and, as a class, construct a timeline that shows when each of the states in the region was admitted into the United States (Connecticut-1788, Maine, originally part of Massachusetts-1788, as a separate state-1820, Massachusetts-1788, New Hampshire-1788, New Jersey-1787, New York-1788, Pennsylvania-1787, Rhode Island-1790, Vermont-1791). Creating this timeline is the beginning of making a cumulative timeline that will eventually include all the states

3. Develop questions, conduct research, and analyze how people have adapted to the environment of the Northeast, and how physical features and natural resources affected settlement patterns, the growth of major urban/suburban areas, industries or trade. 

4. Describe the diverse cultural nature of the region, including contributions of Native Peoples (e.g., Wampanoag, Iroquois, Abenaki), Africans, Europeans (e.g., the early settlements of the Dutch in New York, French near Canada, Germans in Pennsylvania, the English in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire, subsequent 19th and early 20th century immigration by groups such as Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and Eastern Europeans) and various other immigrant groups from other regions of the world in the later 20th and 21st centuries (e.g., Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Salvadorans, Colombians, Guatemalans, Brazilians, Haitians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Chinese, Indians, and Somalis). 

The Southeast 

1.  On a political map of the United States, locate the states and the national capital city in the Southeast, and the U.S. territories in the Caribbean; add to the timeline the admission dates for states in the Southeast (listed alphabetically: Alabama-1819, Arkansas-1836, Delaware-1787, Florida-1845, Georgia-1788, Kentucky-1792, Louisiana-1812, Maryland-1788, Mississippi-1817, North Carolina-1789, South Carolina-1788, Tennessee-1796, Virginia-1788, West Virginia-1863); territories Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. Creating this timeline is the beginning of making a cumulative timeline that will eventually include all the states

2. Describe the diverse cultural nature of the region, including contributions of Native Peoples (e.g., Powhatan Chiefdom, Seminole, Cherokee, Creek), African Americans, Europeans (e.g., the early Spanish settlements in Florida) and immigrant groups from other regions of the world. 

3. Explain how natural disasters, such as hurricanes and floods, have affected the region, and how government and citizens have responded to catastrophic natural events.

4. Describe the role of Washington, D.C. as the national capital, and give examples of its national cultural and civic resources (e.g., the White House, U.S. Capitol Building, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, cemeteries and monuments).

The Midwest 

1.  On a political map of the United States, locate the states in the Midwest; add to the timeline the admission dates for states in the Midwest (listed alphabetically: Illinois-1818, Indiana-1816, Iowa-1846, Kansas-1861, Michigan-1838, Minnesota-1858, Missouri-1821, Nebraska-1867, North Dakota-1889, Ohio-1803, South Dakota-1889, Wisconsin-1848). Creating this timeline is the beginning of making a cumulative timeline that will eventually include all the states

2. Describe the diverse cultural nature of the region, including contributions of Native Peoples (e.g., Sioux, Mandan, Ojibwe/Chippewa), African Americans, Europeans and immigrant groups from other regions of the world.

3. Explain how natural disasters, such as tornadoes and drought, have affected the region, and how government and citizens have responded to catastrophic natural events.

The Southwest 

1. On a political map of the United States, locate the states in the Southwest; add to the timeline the admission dates for states in the Southwest (listed alphabetically, Arizona-1912, New Mexico-1912, Oklahoma-1907, and Texas-1845). Creating this timeline is the beginning of making a cumulative timeline that will eventually include all the states

2. Explain that Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico were territories that formerly belonged to Mexico; that Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836, and that Arizona and New Mexico were taken by the United States as a result of the Mexican-American War 1846-1848. 

3. Describe the diverse cultural nature of the region, including contributions of Native Peoples (e.g., Pueblo, Navajo, Apache, Comanche), African Americans, Europeans (e.g., the Spanish in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico), Mexicans, and immigrant groups from other regions of the world settling in the region over time. 

4. Explain how natural disasters, such as hurricanes and drought, have affected the region, and how government and citizens have responded to catastrophic natural events. 

The West 

1. On a political map of the United States, locate the states in the West and the U.S. territories in the Pacific Ocean; add to the timeline the admission dates for states in the Southwest (states listed alphabetically, Alaska-1959, California-1850, Colorado-1876, Hawaii-1959, Idaho-1890, Montana-1889, Nevada-1864, Oregon-1859, Utah-1896, Washington-1889, Wyoming-1890); territories:  American Samoa, Guam, Midway Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and Wake Island. Creating this timeline is the beginning of making a cumulative timeline that will eventually include all the states

2. Explain that California, Colorado, and Utah were territories that belonged to Mexico and were taken by the United States as a result of the Mexican-American War 1846-1848.

3. Describe the diverse cultural nature of the region, including contributions of Native Peoples (e.g., Paiute, Coast Salish) African Americans, Europeans (e.g. the Spanish in California), the Mexicans, the Chinese, Japanese, and immigrant groups from other regions of the world over time. 

4. Explain how disasters, such as drought and forest fires, have affected the region, and how government and citizens have responded to catastrophic events.