The Antebellum West

Age 12-14: Concept 1 - Semester 1: Unit 3

Summary of Skills

• Analyze the reasons for the removal and resettlement of Cherokee Indians during the Jacksonian era, including the Indian Removal Act, Worcester v. Georgia, and the Trail of Tears. Compare and contrast different local and national perspectives on the national policy of Removal and Resettlement of American Indian populations. (Social Studies)
• Analyze the relationship between the concept of Manifest Destiny and the westward growth of the nation. (Social Studies)
• Describe and evaluate the geographic, economic, and social implications of the discovery of gold and other natural resources in various states and territories. (Social Studies)
• Describe the country's physical landscapes, political divisions, and territorial expansion during the terms of the first four presidents. (Social Studies)
• Describe the country's physical landscapes, political divisions, and territorial expansion during the terms of the first four presidents; describe major domestic problems faced by the leaders of the new republic such as maintaining national security, building a military, creating a stable economic system, setting up the court system, and defining the authority of the central government. (Social Studies)
• Describe the purpose, challenges, and economic incentives associated with westward expansion, including the concept of Manifest Destiny (e.g., the Lewis and Clark expedition, accounts of the removal of American Indians, the Cherokees' "Trail of Tears," settlement of the Great Plains) and the territorial acquisitions that spanned numerous decades. (Social Studies)
• Describe the purpose, challenges, and economic incentives associated with westward expansion, including the concept of Manifest Destiny (e.g., the Lewis and Clark expedition, accounts of the removal of Indians, the Cherokees' "Trail of Tears," settlement of the Great Plains) and the territorial acquisitions that spanned numerous decades. (Social Studies)
• Describe the role of pioneer women and the new status that western women achieved (e.g., Laura Ingalls Wilder, Annie Bidwell; slave women gaining freedom in the West; Wyoming granting suffrage to women in 1869). (Social Studies)
• Describe the Texas War for Independence and the Mexican-American War, including territorial settlements, the aftermath of the wars, and the effects the wars had on the lives of Americans, including Mexican Americans today. (Social Studies)
• Discuss the election of Andrew Jackson as president in 1828, the importance of Jacksonian democracy and his actions as president (e.g., the spoils system, veto of the National Bank, policy of Indian removal, opposition to the Supreme Court). (Social Studies)
• Examine the impact of national events such as the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the War with Mexico, the California Gold Rush, and technological advances. (Social Studies)
• Examine the importance of the great rivers and the struggle over water rights. (Social Studies)
• Explain how the Northwest Ordinance established principles and procedures for orderly expansion of the United States; evaluate the impact of reform and expansion in specific locations and nationwide during the first half of the 19th century. (Social Studies)
• Explain the causes and effects of the U.S.-Mexican War and its impact on the United States. (Social Studies)
• Explain the policy significance of famous speeches (e.g., Jefferson's 1801 Inaugural Address, John Q. Adams's Fourth of July 1821 Address). (Social Studies)
• Explain the political, economic, and social roots of Manifest Destiny. (Social Studies)
• Identify areas that were acquired to form the United States, including the Louisiana Purchase. (Social Studies)
• Identify the foreign policies of presidents Washington through Monroe and explain the impact of Washington's Farewell Address and the Monroe Doctrine. (Social Studies)
• Know the changing boundaries of the United States and describe the relationships the country had with its neighbors (currently Mexico and Canada) and Europe, including the influence of the Monroe Doctrine, and how those relationships influenced westward expansion and the Mexican-American War. (Social Studies)
• Know the changing boundaries of the United States and describe the relationships the country had with its neighbors (currently Mexico and Canada) and Europe. (Social Studies)
• Outline the major treaties with American Indian nations during the administrations of the first four presidents and the varying outcomes of those treaties. (Social Studies)
• Understand the challenges confronted by the government and its leaders in the early years of the republic and the Age of Jackson and understand the aspirations and ideals of the people of the new nation. (Social Studies)
• Understand westward expansion and its effects on the political, economic, and social development of the nation. (Social Studies)