Westward Expansion
(1789 - 1849)
Document Deep Dive: How the Homestead Act Transformed America
Compare documents filed by the first and last homesteaders in the United States
May 2012 |
By T.A. Frail and Megan Gambino
The Cherokees vs. Andrew Jackson
John Ross and Major Ridge tried diplomatic and legal strategies to maintain autonomy, but the new president had other plans
March 2011 |
By Brian Hicks
An Ancestry of African-Native Americans
Using government documents, author Angela Walton-Raji traced her ancestors to the slaves owned by American Indians
February 17, 2010 |
By Katy June-Friesen
Carving Out the West at the Great Smoke Conference
In 1851, American Indian tribes gathered to seek protection of their western lands from frontiersman on the Oregon Trail
April 02, 2009 |
By Paul VanDevelder
Lewis and Clark: The Journey Ends
The triumphant return of the Lewis and Clark expedition
December 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Push to the Pacific
Guided by the Nez Percé, the men and women of the corps reach the Columbia amid threats for their lives
October 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Cold and Hungry
When snow blankets the mountains, the expedition is once again imperiled
September 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
A Bittersweet Homecoming
As the corps finally makes contact with the Shoshone Indians, interpreter Sacagawea reunites with her family
August 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
The Elusive Shoshone
Needing horses and a route across the Rockies, the corps must find Sacagawea's people or risk the fate of the expedition
July 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
A Fork in the River
After deliberating for nine days, the captains choose the tortuous southwest branch of the Missouri toward the Great Falls
June 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Rocky Mountain High
After a canoe capsizes, the first sight of the mountainous "snowey barrier" lifts the corps' spirits
May 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
A Formidable Anamal
After a winter of waiting, the corps leaves Fort Mandan and heads warily into bear country
April 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
A Fine Boy
With a little help from a rattlesnake's rattle, Sacagawea gives birth to a baby she names Jean Baptiste
February 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Dangerous Liaisons
Severe cold and fraternizing with the Mandan keep Meriwether Lewis' doctoring in demand
January 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Off the Charts
Going where few cartographers have gone before, the expedition members hope to find a river that will carry them all the way to the Pacific Ocean
April 2004 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Osage Oranges Take a Bough
The first shipment of botanical specimens sent to President Jefferson contained the seeds of thousands of miles of fences
March 2004 |
By Smithsonian magazine
A Sumpcious Dinner
William Clark—a better explorer than speller—tells his older brother of the impending transfer of the Louisiana Territory to the United States
February 2004 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Looking For a Few Good Men
While the budding Corps of Discovery plans the expedition near St. Louis, William Clark grades the recruits
January 2004 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Meriwether Lewis Gets His Marching Orders
Jefferson spells out the mission
December 2003 |
By Smithsonian magazine
