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We have reached the period of westward expansion after looking at the Civil War and then reconstruction. Reconstruction was literally reconstructing the United States after the Civil War. The Civil War ravaged physical, economic, and political aspects of the Confederacy.

Before he died, Lincoln had a plan for reconstruction. Lincoln's plan was a lenient one. Lincoln called his plan the ten-percent plan. Under said plan, the government would pardon all confederates except for high-ranking officials and those accused of crimes against prisoners of war, who would swear allegiance to the union. As soon as 10% of these people who had voted took the oath of allegiance, a confederate state could form a new state government and send representatives and senators to Congress. Under this rule, there were four states that moved towards readmission: Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia.

In the American Old West, trails were used by immigrants from the Eastern United States, between 1830 and 1870. these colonists began to settle various regions of North America west of the interior plains, during the overland migrations of the mid 19th century. Settlers following these westward ways were spurred by various motives, among them including persecuted Mormons seeking freedom of religion. After the end of the Mexican-American War in 1849, there were many new enticing conquests. Legislation like the Donation Land Claim Act and critical events like the California Gold Rush further incited colonists to travel overland west. There were two major wagon networks--one based out of Missouri and the other based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Students Writing

Students' writing products are used during class to advance the lesson.

Students regularly write for classmates to get an immediate audience response.

Students use writing as a way to build working relationships with others.

Teacher's withhold the red pen and focus on the writer's ideas.