Primary Sources from the House of Representatives
Teachers are encouraged to download and use these materials in their classrooms. Download a PDF of the entire Primary Source Set: Westward Expansion classroom packet here, or download individual primary sources below. Teachers can also find discussion questions, activities, and graphic organizers here.
Some of the historical records in this primary source set reflect outdated, biased, and offensive views and opinions that are no longer commonly accepted in the United States. Through civil discourse, active listening, and empathy, students should analyze these perspectives and their impact on the country’s development.
To request high-resolution images for other uses, see our Rights and Reproductions page.
Map of Western Territories
1848 / About this primary source / Download PDF
Manifest Destiny
Entrance into Monterey
1876 / by artist Albert Bierstadt / About this primary source / Download PDF
Jump to information about Manifest Destiny
Treatment of Native Americans
Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins Petition
January 4, 1884 / About this primary source / Download PDF
Death Whoop
1868 / by artist Seth Eastman / About this primary source / Download PDF
Jump to information about the Treatment of Native Americans
Expansion of Slavery
Census of Arkansas Territory
January 4, 1836 / About this primary source / Download PDF with transcription
Petition against the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
February 1854 / About this primary source / Download PDF
Jump to information about the Expansion of Slavery
Railroads
Memorial for a Pacific Railroad
April 2, 1856 / About this primary source / Download PDF
Jump to information about Railroads
Life on the Frontier
Utah Territory Mail Routes
ca. 1863–1865 / About this primary source / Download PDF
Central Hotel in Round Pond, Oklahoma Territory
January 1894 / About this primary source / Download PDF
Petition of Settlers on Land Boundaries
December 21, 1870 / About this primary source / Download PDF with transcription
Jump to information about Life on the Frontier
Representation
Romualdo Pacheco
2005 / by artist Daniel Greene / About this primary source / Download PDF
Jump to information about Representation
Conservation
John Muir Yosemite Letter
January 2, 1893 / About this primary source / Download PDF with transcription