Unit Topic: 19th Century (Westward Expansion)
Clarifying State Standards
Vertical Alignment
Coming into this unit, students should have a strong foundation in:
Essential Understanding(s)
The students will understand that…
Essential Vocabulary
Students will know...
Clarifying State Standards
- 8.H.1.3- Apply historical thinking to understand the creation and development of North Carolina and the United States.
- 8.H.2.1- Understand the ways in which conflict, compromise and negotiation have shaped North Carolina and the United States.
- 8.H.3.1- Understand the factors that contribute to change and continuity in North Carolina and the United States.
- 8.G.1.1- Understand the geographic factors that influenced North Carolina and the United States.
Vertical Alignment
Coming into this unit, students should have a strong foundation in:
- The Constitution, the Federal Government of the United States, and the role North Carolina played in the founding of the nation.
- The rights, roles, and responsibilities assigned to various offices and groups under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
- The ways the Constitution both ensured and denied Americans' access to the rights fought for in the Revolutionary War.
- The factors that hindered the initial growth of the nation beyond the Appalachian Mountains.
- The regional differences that existed among the 13 colonies and their impact on acceptance of the new Federal government.
Essential Understanding(s)
The students will understand that…
- H.1.3 - Primary source documents reveal the varying viewpoints on Indian Removal.
- H.2.1 - The War of 1812 further proved that America was a strong, powerful nation and clearly defined the borders between the U.S. and British Canada.
- H.3.1 - The United States' push westward across North America resulted in ongoing and widespread conflict with the indigenous population.
- G.1.1 and H.1.3- Lewis and Clark, along with settlers moving west, faced many challenges and opportunities as they explored and began to inhabit lands gained by the Louisiana Purchase, as shown in their journey logs.
- H.1.3- How do perspectives of various groups on the Indian Removal Act compare, based on primary source documents?
- H.2.1 - How did the events of the War of 1812 prove that America was a powerful nation?
- H.3.1 - How did land acquisition change the United States and eventually lead to conflicts?
- G.1.1- What challenges and opportunities did explorers and pioneers face while moving west?
- H.1.3 - How do we know about the challenges and opportunities faced by the Lewis and Clark expeditions?
Essential Vocabulary
Students will know...
- To encourage the idea of Manifest Destiny, Jefferson focused on expansion West first with the Louisiana Purchase and then through the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
- As the nation's fifth President, James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine, which distanced Europe from the Americas, at least in terms of policy. The Monroe Doctrine and growth in the economy lead to nationalism in the new America.
- Trade issues, border disputes and impressment of soldiers led to the War of 1812 between the United States and England.
- Jackson also had a more aggressive policy in dealing with Native Americans that included the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears which forcibly moved Native Americans from their homes to reservations.