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Kids learn about the Louisiana Purchase. When President Thomas Jefferson bought land west of the Mississippi from the French.

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The first US Mail Service: The Pony Express

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The first US Mail Service: The Pony Express

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Westward Expansion

Pony Express Rider
by Frank E. Webner

History >> Westward Expansion
The Pony Express was a mail delivery service that ran between Missouri and California. Using the Pony Express, mail could arrive in California in as few as 9 days rather than the weeks it took to arrive when sent by horse carriage.

How did it work?

The Pony Express used a planned out route with a number of stations along the way. Riders would carry the mail from station to station, switching to fresh horses at each station. Every hundred or so miles the rider would be replaced. This allowed the mail to be constantly moving at a good speed.

The Route

The route used by the Pony Express went from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. There were 184 stations along the 1,900 mile route. It followed the Oregon Trail for a ways, and then used the Mormon Trail to Salt Lake City. The trail traveled over the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and finally to California.

Pony Express Route
from the National Park Service

The Riders
The riders of the Pony Express made $100 a month, which was pretty good money for the time. They worked hard, riding in bad weather, rough terrain, and in dangerous situations. In order to keep the weight down that the horses had to carry, the riders had to weigh less than 125 pounds. A lot of the riders were young, tough, skinny, teenagers who were willing to face the dangers of the ride for the excitement of the job and the money they could earn.

When did the Pony Express run?

The Pony Express was a business. Despite its place in American history, it didn't stay open very long. It opened on April 3, 1860 and closed on October 24, 1861. At the height of its business it had over 400 horses and around 180 riders.

Pony Express Poster
by Unknown

Why did it end?

The Pony Express was forced to close after the opening of the transcontinental telegraph. Telegraphs could be sent much faster and with less expense. In the end, the business venture that was the Pony Express lost a lot of money and became outdated fairly quickly.

Interesting Facts about the Pony Express

The first riders left from Sacramento and St. Joseph on April 3, 1860. They each arrived around 10 days later.

In the winter, the trip generally took around two days longer than in the summer.

The most famous of the Pony Express riders was Buffalo Bill who earned fame putting on Wild West shows.

The initial cost to send a ½ ounce letter was $5. That was a lot of money back in 1860. Prices were lowered to $1 for a ½ ounce letter by the end of the Pony Express.

Only one rider and one shipment of mail were lost during the running of the Pony Express.

Riders would travel 75 to 100 miles a day, switching horses every 10 to 12 miles.

The fastest delivery in the history of the Pony Express was seven days and seventeen hours. It was to deliver President Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address.

The Pony Express was started by William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors.

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History >> Westward Expansion

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Kids learn about the Pony Express from the Old West. Riders would swap horses at stations to deliver the mail faster to and from California.

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African Americans and Westward Expansion **Challenging Reading**

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African Americans and Westward Expansion **Challenging Reading**

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Frederick Jackson Turner, the great historian of the late 19th century, said it was on the frontier that democracy was born, that American ideas of equality were born, individualism. But the frontier also carried with it the expansion of slavery. The westward expansion of slavery was one of the most dynamic economic and social processes going on in this country. The westward expansion carried slavery down into the Southwest, into Mississippi, Alabama, crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana. Finally, by the 1840's, it was pouring into Texas. So the expansion of slavery, which became the major political question of the 1850's, was not just a political issue. It was a fact of life that every American had experienced during this period.

- Eric Foner, historian

In 1828, when Andrew Jackson was elected president, he promised to expand the United States westward. His justification for expansion seemed to him self-evident, for "What good man would prefer a country covered with forest and ranged by a few thousand savages to our extensive republic, studded with cities, towns and prosperous farms and filled with all the blessings of liberty, civilization and religion?" The idea of Manifest Destiny, which held that America had the right and even the duty to extend its civilization, fueled the westward move into Indian and Mexican territories. As the country expanded, the question of slavery gained new importance. Would the new territories be slave-holding or free?

Over the next several years, Jackson seized millions of acres of Indian lands in the southeast, eventually removing five Indian nations from their homes. As a result of the removals, these lands were opened to settlement and the establishment of new cotton plantations. Although some Indian nations chose to fight, in the end, most of the population was removed. The U.S. Army forcibly removed more than 15,000 Cherokees and marched them westward to "Indian Territory" in Oklahoma, a journey the Cherokee called the "Trail of Tears." As many as a quarter of the Indians died during the forced march, and the $6 million cost of the removal was deducted from the $9 million offered them for their land in the treaty they were forced to sign. The Removal Act of 1830 guaranteed the Indians lands in the west, but these promises were later broken.

* Indian Removal
* Trail of Tears

When Mexico encouraged settlers to come to its territory of Texas, many Americans brought slaves with them. In 1829, the Mexican government abolished slavery in Texas to try to lessen American influence. American slaveowners forced their newly-freed slaves to sign life indenture contracts, and the American population continued to grow even after Mexico forbade further immigration in 1830. Tensions mounted, and in 1835 a rebellion broke out. Although the Mexican army won initial engagements at the Alamo in San Antonio and the fortress of Goliad, a surprise attack by the Americans at the San Jacinto River in April, 1836 gained Texas its independence. Texas requested immediate admission into the United States, but opposition from the North to the addition of another slave state to the Union, then precariously balanced with 13 proslavery and 13 antislavery states, delayed its annexation until 1845. The annexation of Texas soon led to the Mexican War, lasting from 1846 to 1848.

Mexico severed diplomatic ties with the U.S. in protest after the annexation of Texas. Newly-elected President James K. Polk, rather than retreating, demanded even more concessions. In addition to extending Texas lands 150 miles southward to the Rio Grande, he demanded that Mexico cede New Mexico and California. The resulting war, presented by Polk as an invasion by Mexico of American land, divided the country, with Democrats siding with expansion, and Abraham Lincoln calling the war a "conquest brought into existence to catch votes."

Among the territories gained by the United States was California, where gold was discovered in 1848. The California Gold Rush swept the nation, sending almost 200,000 prospectors to California over the next four years. As the population swelled, California applied for statehood, and the compromise that allowed the state to be admitted as a free state included passage of the Fugitive Slave Law.

One northerner wrote in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, "We went to bed one night, old-fashioned, conservative, compromise, Union Whigs, and waked up stark mad Abolitionists."

The Kansas-Nebraska act in 1854 brought antislavery and proslavery proponents head-to-head in a battle over the status of Kansas. Slavery had been prohibited in the Great Plains territories under the Missouri Compromise of 1820. With the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Nebraska territory was divided into north and south, and the question of whether slavery would be legal in either part was left to popular referendum.

The southern part, Kansas, soon became a battleground. Free-Soil settlers were recruited from the northeast, while secret societies on the Missouri border vowed to combat these "negro thieves." Most of the northern settlers were not abolitionists, but members of the Free Soil movement, a group of homesteaders who wanted to keep slaveholders and blacks, whether free or enslaved, from competing with them for land. The clash between proslavery and antislavery forces led to a series of violent outbreaks that historians have called Bleeding Kansas, a preview of the Civil War. More than 50 men died before Kansas declared itself a free state.

* Bleeding Kansas
* Letter from Edward Bridgman

The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to the birth of the Republican Party, which promoted an anti-slavery interpretation of the Constitution. Abolitionists found a home within this larger political organization that, while not abolitionist, was against the spread of slavery.

The debate over free versus slave territories reached a new pitch with the case of Dred Scott. In 1847 Dred Scott sued for his freedom on the grounds that his master had brought him to live in free land. Ten years later his case was decided by the Supreme Court, which handed down the infamous decision that Scott could not sue because he was not a citizen of the United States and that no one of African origin could ever become a citizen.

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney justified his decision by insisting that the Founders believed that African Americans were "beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations; and so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect." The controversial decision invalidated the idea of a free state, since any slave brought North by his or her owner would remain trapped in a legal state of bondage. Abraham Lincoln used the Dred Scott case to launch his bid for the U.S. Senate on June 16, 1858.

* Dred Scott's Fight for Freedom
* Dred Scott Case: The Supreme Court Decision
* Lincoln's House Divided Speech

Next: The Civil War

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Frederick Jackson Turner, the great historian of the late 19th century, said it was on the frontier that democracy was born, that American ideas of equality were born, individualism. But the frontier also carried with it the expansion of slavery. The westward expansion of slavery was one of the most dynamic economic and social processes going on in this country.

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Westward Expansion Map
The Westward Expansion Map details the dates and the historical treaties made by the United States of America that increased the nation's lands and made Westward Expansion possible.

When did Westward Expansion begin?
Westward Expansion began with the settlement of the first 13 colonies in the East. The 1783 Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783 and ended the American Revolutionary War and established the early U.S. boundaries.

When did Westward Expansion end?
Westward Expansion ended on February 14, 1912 when Arizona was admitted to the Union as the last of the 48 contiguous (adjoining) states. The admittance of Arizona to the Union completed the process of conquering, establishing and organizing the American West.

Who was involved in the Westward Expansion? It could be said that between 1783-1912 all of the people of America were involved in the Westward Expansion of the United States. Westward Expansion was led by all of the Presidents of the United States during this period. Treaties were enacted by the politicians and the diplomats. The wars were waged by the military and U.S. citizens. Henry Clay introduced the "
American System" that included a subsidized transportation infrastructure of new roads and canals. The inventors during the period of the Industrial Revolution made new transportation systems such as the railroads possible. Entrepreneurs invested in the systems. But it was the people of America who built the systems making it possible for Westward Expansion to become viable and help the pioneers and settlers to head west and build new lives in new lands.

Reasons for Westward Expansion
Why was westward expansion important and what were the reasons for Westward Expansion? There was a whole continent to explore that offered a range of different climates, geographical features, vegetation, animals and raw materials. The potential of the new resources and the massive areas of land were waiting for American settlers to discover, some land was almost free. Westward Expansion offered people the opportunity to find new homes and work, to experience adventure, to explore possibilities, to become rich, to find gold or silver, to escape from the constraints of civilization and to make a new start. In other words Westward Expansion enabled people to live the 'American Dream'. Americans were motivated to move west for a whole variety of practical reasons but they were inspired by the belief that the Manifest Destiny of the United States was God's will.

Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny for kids notion of the "
The Manifest Destiny" of the United States was that the occupation the whole continent of North America, was a divine right of the American people. Manifest Destiny was based on the belief of cultural and racial superiority over other nations and the obligation to bring enlightenment and civilization to other races like the Native American Indians. The belief in the Manifest Destiny of the United States justified the darker side of Westward Expansion.

Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny
The picture on your right is of a painting depicting Westward Expansion and the concept of Manifest Destiny. It was painted in 1872 by John Gast (1842-1893) and called American Progress "Spirit of the Frontier". The painting depicts American people moving west, using different types of transport guided and protected by the goddess Columbia, as a symbol of America, holding the book of knowledge and enlightenment. The painting provides a graphic representation of Westward Expansion combined with the concept of Manifest Destiny. Look carefully and you will see people including Native American Indians, pioneers, settlers, prospectors and farmers. The history and progress of transport systems by foot, horse, covered wagon, stagecoach, canal steamboats and the railroad. Communication systems are represented by a Pony Express rider and telegraph wires.

Westward Expansion and Westward Expansion Timeline and Facts for kids Interesting Westward Expansion Facts and Timeline for kids are detailed below together with details of important events in Westward expansion. The history of Westward Expansion of the United States is told in a factual timeline sequence consisting of a series of short facts providing a simple method of relating the relevant, significant events that lead to the Westward Expansion of the United States of America. All of the events are explained with access to additional articles containing detailed facts and information about each of these important historical events that aided Westward Expansion in the United States.

Westward Expansion Timeline and Facts for kids

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 2: 1800 - Cities and Travel - The towns and cities increased and methods of transport included the stagecoach

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 6: 1811 - The Cumberland Road - The Construction of the Cumberland Road began in Maryland and stretched 600 miles into the Northwest Territory.

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 7: 1812 - Turnpikes(Toll Roads) - The era of road building introduced the system of Turnpikes (Toll Roads)

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 25: 1845 - Manifest Destiny - 1845: John O'Sullivan initiates the phrase 'Manifest Destiny'

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 27: 1846 - Bear Flag Revolt - The Bear Flag Revolt against Mexico in Alta California

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 30: 1848 - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo - The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo by which Mexico ceded Upper California and New Mexico to the United States that covered 525,000 square miles for a payment of $15,000,000

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 30: 1869 - Transcontinental Railroad - The Transcontinental Railroad was completed joining the eastern and western parts of the United States

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 31: 1872 - Manifest Destiny Painting - The Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion Painting called American Progress "Spirit of the Frontier" was painted by John Gast

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 32: 1879 - The Exodusters - The Exodusters and the mass migration of African Americans to Kansas

Westward Expansion Timeline Fact 33: 1898 - Annexation of Hawaii - Queen Liliuokalani was deposed leading to the Annexation of Hawaii.

Westward Expansion and Westward Expansion Timeline and Facts for kids

Westward Expansion for kids - President James K Polk Video
The article on the Westward Expansion for kids provides an overview of one of the Important ideas of his presidential term in office. The following James K Polk video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 11th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849.

Westward Expansion

● Facts and Manifest timeline for kids and schools
● Definition of the Westward Expansion in US history
● Facts about the Westward Expansion Timeline
● James K Polk Presidency from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849
● Fast, fun, Westward Expansion about Important events in his presidency
● Westward Expansion Painting and Timeline
● James K Polk Presidency and the Westward Expansion timeline for schools, homework, kids and children

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Find a summary, definition and facts about the Westward Expansion timeline for kids. Westward Expansion Timeline, Map and Facts. Facts via the Westward Expansion timeline for kids, children, homework and schools.

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New York's most important waterway: Erie Canal

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New York's most important waterway: Erie Canal

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This page describes the history and impact of the Erie Canal on Westward Expansion.

The Erie Canal

Transportation Between the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes

During the early 1800's, the new United States of America began to develop plans to build a waterway to transport goods from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes region through the imposing Appalachian Mountains. Prior to construction of the Erie Canal, the transportation of goods to the western states was cumbersome and very expensive.

New York to Pay for Construction of the Erie Canal

In 1816, a plan was formulated to make the Erie Canal. The canal would link the major port of New York City to the Hudson River near Troy, New York. From Troy, the canal would then link the Hudson River to western cities in New York such as Rome, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. From Buffalo, on Lake Erie, goods could be transported to the canal from the western Great Lakes. Hence, goods could be shipped from anywhere in the Great Lakes to major urban centers such as New York City. Although the plan was rejected by president James Monroe, the New York State Legislature approved the plan and planned to pay for the canal by charging tolls for those who used it. Governor DeWitt Clinton was a major proponent of the plan.

Seven Years in the Making

The canal took over seven years to complete. Laborers had to literally dig the massive canal with simple shovels through mountainous areas. Farmers who lived along the canal often contracted workers to build portions of the canal through their land. Many foreign immigrants were paid well to help build the canal. The 363 mile-long, 40 foot wide Erie Canal was completed on October 25, 1825.

The Erie Canal Prompted the Growth of Cities near the Great Lakes

The Erie Canal revolutionized life for many in America. Not only did its construction result in drastic differences in shipping costs, but it prompted huge population growths in the Great Lakes region. People began to move closer to large cities because goods could easily be transported via the Erie Canal to urban areas, and goods could also be shipped west from the cities. The $7,000,000 cost of the canal was quickly covered by tolls. Tolls were eliminated soon after the cost of the canal was reclaimed.

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This page describes the history and impact of the Erie Canal on Westward Expansion. The Erie Canal During the early 1800's, the new United States of America began to develop plans to build a waterway to transport goods from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes region through the imposing Appalachian Mountains.

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Kids learn about the Trail of Tears including when it took place, relocation of Native American tribes, the forced march of the Cherokee, the aftermath, and interesting facts.

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Annie Oakley: One of the first Cowgirls 

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Annie Oakley: One of the first Cowgirls 

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Kids learn about the biography and life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley including her early years, learning to shoot, the Buffalo Bill Wild West show, fame, her shooting tricks, and fun facts.

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Kids learn about the cowboys of the old west. Fun facts like the cattle drive, round up, the clothes they wore, and the cowboy code.

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First Transcontinental Railroad
History >>Westward Expansion

The First Transcontinental Railroad stretched from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast. No longer would people travel in long wagon trains that took months to reachCalifornia. They could now travel faster, safer, and cheaper by train. In addition to people, things like mail, supplies, and trade goods could now be shipped across the country in just a few days. The railroad was built between 1863 and 1869.

Background

The first talk of a transcontinental railroad started around 1830. One of the first promoters of the railroad was a merchant named Asa Whitney. Asa tried hard for many years to get Congress to pass an act to build the railroad, but failed. However, in the 1860s Theodore Judah began to lobby for a railroad. He surveyed the Sierra Nevada Mountains and found a pass where the railroad could be built.

The Route

There were two main routes along which people wanted the first railroad to be built.

One route was called the "central route". It followed much the same route as the Oregon Trail. It would begin in Omaha, Nebraska and end up in Sacramento, California.

The other route was the "southern route". This route would stretch across Texas, New Mexico, and end up in Los Angeles, California.

The central route was eventually chosen by Congress.

Route of the First Transcontinental Railroad by Unknown

Pacific Railroad Act

In 1862President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act into law. The act said that there were two main railroad lines. The Central Pacific Railroad would come from California and the Union Pacific Railroad would come from the Midwest. The two railroads would meet somewhere in the middle.

The act gave the railroad companies land where they could build the railroad. It also paid them for each mile that they built. They were paid more money for miles of track built in themountains versus miles of track built on the flat plains.

Building the Railroad

Across the Continent
by Joseph Becker

Building the railroad was tough, hard work. Weather conditions were especially tough in the mountains during the winter. A lot of times the only way to travel over the mountains was to go through the mountains by blasting a tunnel. The Central Pacific Railroad had to blast a number of tunnels through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The longest tunnel built was 1659 feet long. It took a long time to build the tunnels. They were able to blast around 1 foot per day on average.

While the Central Pacific Railroad had to deal with mountains and snow, the Union Pacific Railroad had to deal withNative Americans. As the Native Americans came to realize the threat to their way of life that the "Iron Horse" was going to bring, they began to raid the railroad work sites. Also, a lot of the land that was "granted" to the railroad by the government was actually Native American land.

The Workers

The majority of the workers on the Union Pacific Railroad were Irish laborers, many who had served in both the Union and the Confederate armies. In Utah, a lot of the track was built by Mormon workers. Most of the Central Pacific Railroad was built by Chinese immigrants.

The Golden Spike

The two railroads finally met at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869. Leland Stanford, governor of California and president of the Central Pacific Railroad, drove in the last spike. This final spike was called the "Golden Spike" or "The Final Spike". You can see it today at Stanford University in California.

Driving the Golden Spike on 10th May, 1869
by American School

Interesting Facts about the First Transcontinental Railroad

The Pony Express traveled a similar route to the central route and helped to prove that the route was passable in winter.

The transcontinental railroad was also called the Pacific Railroad and the Overland Route.

The total length of the First Transcontinental Railroad was 1,776 miles.

The Central Pacific Railroad was controlled by four men called the "Big Four". They were Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker.

It was later, in November of 1869, when the Central Pacific connected San Francisco to Sacramento.

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History >>Westward Expansion The First Transcontinental Railroad stretched from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast. No longer would people travel in long wagon trains that took months to reachCalifornia. They could now travel faster, safer, and cheaper by train.

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Westward Expansion

History >> Westward Expansion
The California Gold Rush took place between 1848 and 1855. During this time gold was discovered in California. Over 300,000 people rushed to California to find gold and "strike it rich".

Gold Is Found in California

Gold was first discovered in California by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill near the city of Coloma. James was building a sawmill for John Sutter when he found shiny flakes of gold in the river. He told John Sutter about the discovery and they tried to keep it secret. However, soon word got out and prospectors were rushing to California to find gold.

Sutter's Mill
from the California Department of
Parks and Recreation

The Forty-niners
Before the gold rush, there were only around 14,000 non-Native Americans living in California. This soon changed. Around 6,000 people arrived in 1848 and in 1849 around 90,000 people arrived to hunt for gold. These people were called the Forty-niners. They came from all around the world. Some were Americans, but many came from places like China, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

Digging for Gold

Many of the first prospectors did make a lot of money. They often made ten times in a day what they could working a normal job. The original miners would pan for gold. Later, more complex methods were used to allow multiple miners to work together and search larger amounts of gravel for gold.

What is "panning for gold"?

One method miners used to separate gold from dirt and gravel was called panning. When panning for gold, miners put gravel and water into a pan and then shook the pan back and forth. Because gold is heavy it will eventually work its way to the bottom of the pan. After shaking the pan for a while, the gold will be on the bottom of the pan and the worthless material will be at the top. Then the miner can extract the gold and set it aside.

Panning on the Mokelumne
from Harper's Weekly

Supplies
All these thousands of miners needed supplies. Typical supplies for a miner included a mining pan, a shovel, and a pick for mining. They also needed food and living supplies such as coffee, bacon, sugar, beans, flour, bedding, a tent, lamp, and a kettle.

The store and business owners who sold supplies to the miners often became wealthier than the miners. They were able to sell items at very high prices and the miners were willing to pay.

Boomtowns

Whenever gold was discovered in a new place, miners would move in and make a mining camp. Sometimes these camps would rapidly grow into towns called boomtowns. The cities of San Francisco and Columbia are two examples of boomtowns during the gold rush.

Ghost Towns

A lot of boomtowns eventually turned into abandoned ghost towns. When the gold ran out in an area, the miners would leave to find the next gold strike. The businesses would leave too and soon the town would be empty and abandoned. One example of a gold rush ghost town is Bodie, California. Today it is a popular tourist attraction.

Interesting Facts about the Gold Rush

San Francisco was a small town of around 1,000 people when gold was discovered. A few years later it had over 30,000 residents.

California was admitted as the 31st state of the United States in 1850 during the gold rush.

Sometimes groups of miners used "rockers" or "cradles" to mine. They could mine a lot more gravel and dirt this way than with just a pan.

There have been other gold rushes in the United States including the Pike's Peak gold rush in Colorado and the Klondike gold rush in Alaska.

Historians estimate that around 12 million ounces of gold was mined during the gold rush. That would be worth around $20 billion using 2012 prices.

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Kids learn about the California Gold Rush from the Old West. Thousands of people move to the west to search for gold and strike it rich.

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Oregon Trail, The : MECC : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive

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The Oregon Trail is a series of strategy computer games. The first game was originally developed by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger in 1971...

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Parents and Teachers: Please follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers and Twitter.

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Click on the bottom to start the tour

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The 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark journey was a real-life adventure story that could rival any in fiction or non-fiction today. It is a story of adventure and discovery, of reunion and redemption, and perseverance and innovation.