Hierarchy and Accessibility Through the Lens of Westward Migration

Trails West 1.What vocabulary do you need to know in order to understand the map? 2.What is the purpose of the map? 3.What information does the map provide? 4.Identify two patterns in the map. 5.Explain why these patterns exist. 6.What does this map tell you about Westward Migration in the second half of the 19 th century? 2

VPIPES Vocabulary: trails, West Purpose: to visually represent the paths that different groups of people took to get West Information/Data: Trails that people took when traveling West starting points, ending points, names of trails, names of states and cities Patterns: empty space surrounding four-corners area empty space through Nevada travel/settlement occurring around water sources end points are modern major metro areas Some major metros missing (Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, Pheonix)

More VPIPES Evaluation: travel is avoiding high Rockies and Great Basin desert, water is important to making the trip and to life once one arrives Settlement areas have remained popular (in part because of developing railroad stops) Portland and Seattle were not established for farming, ranching, or mining; they were sea traders, mainly settled by water Las Vegas and Phoenix lacked water resources that have since been built So What? Groups of people who settled the West established the major metropolitan areas of the West Travel and settlement patterns were dictated by geographic concerns (some of which were overcome by technology in the long run)

Hierarchy and Westward Migration 5 1.Describe the Hierarchy patterns of the American West during the period of Westward Expansion. 2.How are these patterns similar to the patterns you studied for the entire United States? 3.How are these patterns different from those you studied for the entire United States? 4.Why did people choose these particular areas for settlement?

Accessibility of Westward Migration 6 Use the map and the primary source document assigned to you in order to answer the three questions on the primary source. Be prepared to share out and to discuss.

Railroad map of the American West 7 1. How did rail travel change the accessibility of the Western United States? 2. How did rail travel affect the hierarchy of settlements in the West? 3. Why did this pattern persist?

Highway map of the United States 8 1.How did the highway system change the accessibility of the American West? 2.How did this affect the hierarchy of Western settlements? 3.How does the accessibility of Western settlements compare with those of Eastern settlements today? 4.Why has this pattern persisted?

1.How does the seal represent an important change in the accessibility of Western settlements? 2.Using the seal, identify two obstacles to Westward Migration. State Seal Analysis Exit Ticket