Human and geographic factors moving west

Lesson Objectives

We will- analyze the effects of geographic factors had on historical events in the U.S

I will- take notes and analyze two primary sources of the era.

Essential Question:
How did railroads, the Erie Canal, and the discovery of gold impact life in the U.S?

Open Ended

Why would someone in the 1800's move out west? Was it an easy journey? What are some dangers that you believe someone traveling west could encounter?

Hotspot

Where are the Rocky Mountains?

Hotspot

Where are the Appalachian Mountains?

Moving West

• As people moved west, they had to cross the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains.

  • Not easy

• Settlers brought lots of supplies, as well as all or most of their belongings, when they moved west by wagon. 

Drag and Drop

The ​

Placeholder

are the mountains on the eastern part of the U.S that served as a barrier to western expansion.

The ​ ​

Placeholder

are the mountains on the western part of the U.S that many travelers had trouble crossing during western expansion.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Appalachian Mountains

Rocky Mountains

Himalayan Mountains

Andes Mountains

Cascade Mountains

Multiple Choice

What football team has this as their mascot?

• San Francisco 49's

• UTEP Miners

• Miami Hurricanes

• Miami Marlins

Gold is found!

Gold is discovered in California on 1849

Gold: soft, heavy, yellow metal worth lots of money.

Many people move west

• Thousands of people, hoping to get rich, moved to California

• Some went to start businesses; others went to mine for gold! 

Multiple Choice

What is gold?

• A precious metal with a bright yellow color, often used in jewelry and as a form of currency.
• A type of metal used in construction
• A type of fabric used for making curtains
• A type of fruit found in tropical regions

Multiple Choice

Why did many people move to California after 1849?

• Gold Rush
• Political stability
• Farming opportunities
• Oil discovery

The Railroad

• The railroad had a huge effect on migrating west.

• Caused many cities that were near railroads to become economic hubs for America.

Pros of the Transcontinental Railroad:

• faster transportation

• safer transportation

• connected East & West, making it easy to ship and sell products.

• improved communication

Multiple Choice

How did the railroad impact life in the western U.S?

• The railroad led to an increase in isolation and lack of communication in the western U.S.
• The railroad facilitated transportation, trade, and settlement in the western U.S.
• The railroad caused a decrease in trade and settlement in the western U.S.
• The railroad had no impact on life in the western U.S.

Erie Canal

Erie Canal

• The Erie Canal opened in 1825 and caused New York City to become the largest city in the nation.

• Connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River to

  New York City along the Atlantic Ocean.

• New York becomes the country's biggest port in the 1800's

Multiple Choice

How did the construction of the Erie Canal improve transportation in the United States in the 1820s?

• The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River.

• The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

• The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio River.

• The canal connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Open Ended

How did railroads and the Erie Canal change life in the U.S?

"Does not such a meeting make amends?" / FB. - digital file from color film copy slide | Library of Congress

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I will go west! | Library of Congress

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