Early Expansion

​🗺️ Early Expansion: Who Benefited? Who Was Harmed?

By Isiah Jones

​Analyzing the Northwest Ordinance (1787) + North America in 1800

Objective: We will analyze how early U.S. expansion created opportunities for some groups and harm for others, using evidence from two sources.

Open Ended

Based only on the two images (infographic + map), which do you think the early United States wanted MOST after the Revolution?

Land

Power

Security

👉 Write 2 sentences defending your choice.

What Was the Northwest Ordinance?

• Territory — land controlled by the U.S. government but not yet a state

• Ordinance — a law created by a government

• Sovereignty — power to govern or control land

• Treaty — a formal agreement between nations

• Settlement — a new community formed when people move into an area

• Expansion — the U.S. growing in land, power, and influence

Multiple Choice

Which term describes the U.S. government creating rules for how land will be organized?

• land use
• property management
• urban planning
• Ordinance

Open Ended

Why might Native Americans resist U.S. expansion based on the term sovereignty?

What Was the Northwest Ordinance?

• Passed under the Articles of Confederation

• Created the Northwest Territory

• Set up a process for territories → states

• Banned slavery in the territory

• Promised rights to settlers

📌 Why it matters:
It became the blueprint for how America would expand.

What Was the Northwest Ordinance?

.

North America in 1800 🌍

• Huge parts of the continent held by Britain, France, Spain, and Russia

• U.S. was small, fragile, and surrounded

• Expansion = opportunity AND conflict

📌 Why it matters:
The map shows the geopolitical reality behind westward movement.

Multiple Choice

Which statement best explains why the Northwest Ordinance was important for U.S. expansion?

• It established a military presence in the Northwest Territory.
• It provided a structured process for admitting new states and promoting governance in the Northwest Territory.
• It limited the rights of settlers in new territories.
• It created a tax system for the Northwest states.

Multiple Choice

Why would banning slavery in the Northwest Territory increase conflict later?

• Northern states no longer needed to trade with the South.

• Southern states would want to expand slavery into new areas.

• Britain still controlled the entire Great Lakes region.

• Spain prevented settlers from moving west.

Rotation Layout

.

Door Side:
A1 (Infographic)
B1 (Map)

Window Side:
A2 (Infographic)
B2 (Map)

Back Wall: Last stop back at your tables
C1 (Synthesis)
C2 (Synthesis)

At every station:

• Reader (reads the source aloud)

• Evidence Finder (locates details)

• Reasoner (explains ideas)

• Recorder (writes answers)

• Reporter (shares out)

• Each group member must complete all station questions on their own handout.

Rotation Layout

.

Door Side:
A1 (Infographic)
B1 (Map)

Window Side:
A2 (Infographic)
B2 (Map)

Back Wall: Last stop back at your tables
C1 (Synthesis)
C2 (Synthesis)

At every station:

• Reader (reads the source aloud)

• Evidence Finder (locates details)

• Reasoner (explains ideas)

• Recorder (writes answers)

• Reporter (shares out)

• Each group member must complete all station questions on their own handout.

Open Ended

Which group benefited MOST from the Northwest Ordinance? Why?

Exit Ticket

.

Using evidence from the Northwest Ordinance and the 1800 Map, explain how early U.S. expansion created opportunity for some and harm for others.
Include:
✔ A clear claim about who benefited and who was harmed
✔ 1 piece of evidence from the Northwest Ordinance
✔ 1 piece of evidence from the 1800 Map
✔ Reasoning that explains how the evidence proves your claim
✔ Complete sentences and academic vocabulary

Open Ended

Which foreign power created the biggest barrier to expansion? Why?