Expansion And Exploration

Page Updated December 2024

A Cowboy in Dodge City, 1882  Texas cowboys in a wide open town.

Battle with the Apache, 1872  A soldier's recollections of an attack on an Apache stronghold in Arizona Territory.

Buffalo Hunt, 1846  In the days when the buffalo thronged the Plains.

Crossing the Plains, 1865  Aboard a wagon train making the westward trek from Missouri to Montana.

Custer's Last Stand  The destruction of Custer's command on the banks of the Little Bighorn.

Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor  The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor explores 46 historic places that illustrate the history of transportation and mining of coal in Pennsylvania.

Desert People of the Southwest  Choose a group from a long list of people past and present who call the desert of the Southwest USA their home.

Discovering Lewis and Clark  This is a 19-part overview of the expedition Harry Fritz, Professor of History at the University of Montana, took to trace the footsteps of Lewis and Clark. Contains illustrations with selections from the journals of the expedition.

Doomed Expedition to the South Pole, 1912  The final days of Captain Robert Scott's expedition in the Antarctic.

Fort Necessity  An expanded site on this early frontier fort where a confrontation in 1754 was the opening episode of a worldwide struggle known as the French and Indian War.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site  This site features stories about England’s first attempt to establish a colony in America ("The Roanoke Voyages: A Mystery Story for Young People") and a site that became home to thousands of freed slaves during the Civil War.

Historic Hudson River  A Web site for students, educators, and those interested in the history, culture, and conservation of the Hudson River Valley.

History of Railroads and Maps  From the Library of Congress, learn all about the beginning of American railroads, the Transcontinental Railroad, and more.

Hudson River Sloop “Clearwater”  In 1966, a handful of river-lovers decided to change the course of events that was destroying the Hudson, and reclaim a natural treasure for us all. Learn how they are now working to protect the Hudson.

Jamestown Rediscovery  Recent archeological excavations in Jamestown contributed to this newly redesigned site.

Lewis and Clark and Exploring the West  Learn about the planning of the Lewis and Clark expedition and the maps of the early movement West.

New Perspectives on the West  Tour the West from its very early beginnings until 1914. Learn about the original settlers, conquerors, pioneers, hunters and more.

Passage to America, 1750  A German immigrant describes the arduous journey to colonial America.

PBS: The West 8 Part Documentary  The companion Web site for Ken Burns’ award winning documentary series on the American West.

Riding the Stage, 1861  Aboard the overland stage from St. Joseph, Mo. to Carson City, Nevada Territory.

Samuel de Champlain, Voyages, 1604 Read about Samuel de Champlain's voyages.

Saugus Iron Works: Life and Work at an Early American Industrial Site  Unearth the remains of colonial America's first fully integrated ironworks, and consider what reconstruction of the site reveals about daily life for some early European settlers.

Spaniards from Yucatan to Kansas  A historical map from Frank E. Smitha's "World History."

The Indian Fur Trade  Much of the history from the late 1700s to 1840 reflects the prejudices of the times rather than factual information on the Fur Trade and its effects on the Plains, Rocky Mountain and Canadian Indian Cultures.

The Mexican War and U.S. Expansion to the Pacific  Politics in Mexico, Republic of Texas and annexation, War, protests, California and the rest of northern Mexico, invasion at Veracruz and fall of Mexico City, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Oregon Trail 101  Read and find out information about the famous trail. Includes a map of the key sites along the trail.

The Overland Trails  This terrific site provides all sorts of information and images about the Overland Trail and Western Expansion.

The Story of The Pony Express, by Glenn D. Bradley, 1884-1930  An on-line electronic book from Project Gutenberg.

Wilderness And The American Identity This site offers an extensive collection of links to sites about water, life, and agriculture in the American West. Some of the articles are from the 19th century, when the arid, western United States was settled. Other pieces are more current and show how indigenous peoples of North America have survived in hostile terrains.