Unit 51790s – 1860s
Westward Expansion
Study the words
Vocabulary
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward: 0 of 8 Words Mastered
8 words still to learn. You choose what counts as mastered — you can always move a word back.
Choose a standard
- Still learning
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
National Road
The first federally funded highway in the United States, built from 1811 to the 1830s to connect the East (Maryland) to the western frontier (Ohio).
Why it matters
Made it easier and faster for settlers, goods, and mail to move west, helping connect the country. Led to development of more roads.
Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Erie Canal
A 363-mile man-made waterway built in New York from 1817–1825 that connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River. It was strongly supported by the governor of NY at the time, DeWitt Clinton.
Why it matters
Made shipping goods much faster and cheaper, connecting the Midwest to eastern markets. It helped New York City grow into a major trade and economic center.
Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Transcontinental Railroad
Transcontinental Railroad
Why it matters
Greatly sped up travel, trade, and migration west, helping connect the country and support economic growth.
Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Telegraph
A communication system that sent messages over long distances using electrical signals and Morse code in the mid-1800s.
Why it matters
Allowed messages to travel almost instantly across the country, connecting regions and improving communication.
Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Cotton Gin
A machine invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney that quickly separated cotton fibers from seeds.
Cause
Cotton was hard and slow to clean (pull seeds out and separate from the pod) by hand.
Effect
Cotton production exploded, especially in the South.
Why it matters
Made cotton farming more profitable and increased the demand for enslaved labor, expanding slavery west.
Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Industrial Revolution
A period in the early–mid 1800s when goods began to be made by machines in factories instead of by hand, especially in the Northern states.
Why it matters
Created a strong industrial economy in the North, making it very different from the agricultural South.
Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Sectionalism
Strong loyalty to a region (North or South) rather than the whole country in the early–mid 1800s.
Why it matters
Made compromise harder, increased distrust between regions, and pushed the country closer to the Civil War.
Example
Conflicts like the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and Kansas-Nebraska Act showed growing division.
Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Abolitionists/ Abolitionism
A movement to end slavery in the United States, especially strong in Northern states in the early–mid 1800s.
Why it matters
Increased sectional tension and helped push the country closer to the Civil War.
Still learning
Mastery by standard
The same colours as your packet. Pick a standard to practice just the words you are still learning in it.
Standard 7.6a — Motives for Territorial Expansion
0 / 3 Mastered
Standard 7.6a — Motives for Territorial Expansion: 0 of 3 terms mastered.Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
0 / 21 Mastered
Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise: 0 of 21 terms mastered.Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
0 / 8 Mastered
Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward: 0 of 8 terms mastered.Other Vocabulary — Not listed under a standard
0 / 13 Mastered
Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard: 0 of 13 terms mastered.