THE CHOICES PROGRAM BROWN UNIVERSITY
VIDEO COLLECTION

Westward Expansion:
A New History

VIEW CURRICULUM UNIT

Introduction: Between Atlantic and Pacific

How is the term “westward expansion” problematic?
Why is it important to say “settler colonialism” instead of “westward expansion”?
Why is it important to center marginalized people in the study of American history?

Part I: The Transformation of a Continent

The Conquest of North America
What was the North American West like before Europeans arrived?
What was life like for Native people in the North American colonies?
What was the relationship between Native people and European colonists?
How did horses change the lives of Native American women?
How did interactions between Indian and European groups in the West change after 1800?
How did Americans justify their settler colonialism?
How did the U.S. Constitution exclude certain groups?

Part II: Experiencing U.S. Settler Colonialism: Southern Arizona

How can studying local history deepen our understanding of larger historical forces?
Why did you decide to research the groups in southern Arizona?
In what ways is the southern Arizona case study unique?
What are calendar sticks?

Part III: Telling New Stories

Why did U.S. public opinion turn so sharply against the settlers in the aftermath of the Camp Grant attack?
How is the Camp Grant attack remembered by Apache people today?
Why are Indian views sometimes left out of the history of the West?
Why is it important to incorporate Native American perspectives in U.S. history?
How do Indian primary sources contribute to our understanding of westward expansion?
What were the major environmental effects of U.S. westward expansion?
How has the U.S.-Mexico border changed since the nineteenth century?

Lesson: Legend as an Historical Source

In Indian societies, what is the purpose of a myth or legend?
What things do historians have to consider when they analyze Native American primary sources?
How does the Kiowa smallpox legend contribute to our understanding of their history?

Lesson: Geography from Four Perspectives

Reading maps: What is a map?
How has the U.S.-Mexico border changed since the nineteenth century?

Lesson: Indian Primary Sources from Arizona

What are calendar sticks?
What do historians have to consider when they analyze Indian primary sources?
What is oral history?

Lesson: Rewriting History

What is Aravaipa Canyon like today?
How is the Camp Grant attack remembered by Apache people today?
Why is it important to incorporate Native American perspectives in U.S. history?

Lesson: Historical Memory—Aravaipa Canyon

What is historical memory?
How do governments and citizens shape historical memory?
What are the consequences of forgetting historical violence?
Why is it important to think critically about history and the past?
What is Aravaipa Canyon like today?
Back to top