Quilting with Children

a wonderful resource from Heddi Craft and experienced quilter (with children!)

America Quilts

another quality offering from PBS; includes classroom application

Quilts, Counterpanes and Throws

from the Smithsonian...a gallery of historic quilts!

Quilt Unit Plan

a beautifully designed teaching unit built around a "quilt" theme

SMART PROJECTS

an excellent quilting/geometry unit, created by teachers

World of Escher

math or art...the World of Escher is provocative and intriguing!

Frontier Personalities

The Diary of James Madison Coon and Nancy Iness (Miller) Coon

read the account of these travelers on the Oregon Trail

Bush and Simmons Party

fascinating recounting of pioneering emigrants Bush and Simmons

Julia Louisa Lovejoy

she wrote articles about life in Kansas... good first-hand account of living in the West and of her views on abolition

Luzena Stanley Wilson's Memoirs of the Gold Rush

the recollections of a woman in the Gold Rush...1881

Catherine Sager - Across the Plains in 1844

Pioneer account of trip across plains to the Northwest in 1844...fascinating!

Narcissa Whitman - 1836

the diaries of Narcissa Whitman, trail pioneer, 1836-1847

Cather-Quotations

quotations from Willa Cather...with links to their web reference points

Famous Western Pioneers and Frontiersmen

links to information about famous western pioneers/historical figures

Oregon

the journal of John B. Wyeth...1832...journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean...fascinating!

The Old West

Annie Oakley and other notorious/famous figures in the story of the old west

James H. Lane

a principal leader of the antislavery forces that ultimately made Kansas free-soil

Benjamin Singleton

those who answered Singleton's call to head west became known as "Exodusters," and Singleton himself was described as the "Father of the Exodus

William Gilpin

influential in the settling of the new west... staunch believer in "Manifest Destiny"

Oliver Otis Howard

a moral crusader and soldier...he strived valiantly to protect the rights of Native Americans in the West

Sayings of Chief Joseph

speeches given Chief Joseph ...poignant

Historical Perspective

Trails to Utah and the Pacific, The Library of Congress

Incorporates 49 diaries of pioneers trekking westward across America to Utah, Montana, and the Pacific between 1847 and the meeting of the rails in 1869 as well as maps, photographs and illustrations, and 7 published guides for immigrants.

End of the Oregon Trail, Local Legacies, Library of Congress

A "Local Legacies" project from the State of Oregon, commemorating the significance of Westward Migration

Frontier Trails of the Old West

Overview: The Oregon Trail by Todd Underwood

Images of the American West

wonderful photographs of early west...1870's to early 1900's

Lemhi Pass

from the USDA Forest Service, this beautiful site offers views the pioneers must have seen

California National Historical Trail Wagon Train Run For The Gold 1849 - 1999

a reenactment of the pioneer journey on the Oregon Trail ...insightful!

California's Gold Rush Country: Historic Sites & Spectacular Scenery

offers an excellent book for those interested in the CA Gold Rush!

Ghost Towns

view artifacts...don't miss the Virtual Museum!

Jim Janke's Old West Page

a mega-collection of web links about the "West"...all kinds!

Pioneer Life Web Center

good overview of Pioneer Life

Pioneering the Upper Midwest

an American Memory collection, Library of Congress; excellent primary source material

Covered Wagon

oral history: life on the trail

Historical Gazette: Oregon Trail 1843

offered by Historical Gazette, a descendant of pioneers writes of her family's experience traveling the trail

Historical Gazette: Headline Titles

volume two ...Oregon Trail articles ...worth a look!

Three Island Crossing

this informative site offers pictures of reenactments of the river crossing and diary entries from participants of historical crossings

American West - Frontier Trails Brief History

site offers a history of all the major trails "west"

American West - The Oregon Trail

site offers explanatory/introductory information about the Oregon Trail

End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

a view of the "end" of the trail

The Oregon Trail

good introductory information about the trail and its history

Facts.

unusual and fun facts about life on the trail

Pony Express Home Station

an extensive and informative site about America's Pony Express ...alive and well, yet!

OREGON TRAIL: The Trail West

information about the Oregon Trail...and other trails west

Black Indians

Katz explores the "missing piece" in American History...the hidden Native American heritage of a significant number of African Americans

Jews in the Wild West

tales from the trail, anecdotes and a bibliography make this worth a look

Chicano/Latino West & Borderland Sites

Chicano/Latinos in America's History

Asian and Pacific American West

the Asian-American in America's West ...links of all kinds

Western Frontier

links of all kinds..."people of color" on America's Frontier

Western Migration and Homesteading: African-American Mosaic Exhibition (Library of Congress)

from the Library of Congress ...information about African-American western emigration

American West : Multicultural Perspectives

an ambitious project ...provides links to sites offering a multicultural perspective on the settling of America's "West"

The Chinese and Westward Expansion

An essay from the American Memory collection, The Chinese in California, The Library of Congress

Native American Perspective

Native Peoples and American Indian West

links of all kinds ...Native Americans and the American West

Impressions of an Indian Childhood

impressions of an Indian childhood

THE WEST

Archives of the PBS documentary include text and images (episode one and two are particularly rich in Native American information and images)

The American West - Native Americans

an extensive collection of links by, for and about Native Americans

Conservation Chronology 1847-1871

art and text about America's desire to preserve its resources and its beauty ...includes information about the popular "West" (1847-1871)

Fish and Wildlife on the Oregon Trail: Then and Now

this site is intended to help people understand the changes in fish and wildlife populations since the years of the Oregon Trail migration

Teacher Resources

Donner Online

from PacBell, a WebQuest on the Donner Party

Western Folklife Center

Cowboy Poetry for yer enjoyment!

Goldrush Curriculum

Excellent teaching resources from the Oakland Museum of California

Native American/African American Books

Native Americans and African Americas in America's "Western History"...great bibliography

BOOKS - BLACK AMERICAN WEST MUSEUM

another terrific bibliography ...about African American influence in America's Western Frontier

Western Frontier

extensive and varied bibliography of books for students of the American Western Frontier

CCH/SFMOMA

SFMOMA offers educators ideas for creating their own "history" museums

Westward Expansion

wonderful maps of the various trails west...and a good deal of information can be found here

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl

the Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl, page...of interest to learners of all ages

Expansion and Reform

Internet Resources from the Learning Page, Library of Congress