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Chronological Reasoning and Causation

What did the canal do for African Americans?

  1. Load State Census Record for the Freeman Family, Montgomery County, 1855 in Main Document Viewer
  2. Load Newspaper article from the New York Tribune, October 26, 1850 in Main Document Viewer

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Driven by political and economic motives, the United States expanded its physical boundaries to the Pacific Ocean between 1800 and 1860. This settlement displaced Native Americans as the frontier was pushed westward. Westward expansion provided opportunities for some groups while harming others.

 Students will examine the ways westward movement affected the lives of women and African Americans.