Bodies of Water

Served as a highway for explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants

• Pacific Ocean
• Atlantic Ocean
• Great Lakes
• Gulf of Mexico

Earth's largest ocean; an early exploration destination

• Pacific Ocean
• Atlantic Ocean
• Gulf of Mexico
• Great Lakes

INLAND port cities (cities where ships dock and unload/load goods) grew in the Midwest along these bodies of water

• Pacific Ocean
• Atlantic Ocean
• Gulf of Mexico
• Great Lakes

Used by the Spanish and the French explorers as a water route to Mexico and other parts of America

• Pacific Ocean
• Atlantic Ocean
• Gulf of Mexico
• Great Lakes

Used to transport farm and industrial products and was a link to ports and other parts of the world; most famous river in America

• Mississippi
• Ohio
• Missouri
• Rio Grande

Longest river in North America, 200 miles longer than the Mississippi; used to transport farm and industrial items and as a link to other ports 

• St. Lawrence
• Ohio
• Missouri
• Rio Grande

Gateway to the west

• St. Lawrence
• Ohio
• Missouri
• Rio Grande

Connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean; forms part of the northeastern border with Canada

• St. Lawrence
• Ohio
• Missouri
• Rio Grande

Explored by Lewis and Clark; fourth longest river in the U.S.

• Columbia
• Ohio
• Colorado
• Rio Grande

Carved the Grand Canyon millions of years ago; was explored and mapped by the Spanish

• Columbia
• Ohio
• Colorado
• Rio Grande