Through this project CMS students will gain an appreciation for Manifest Destiny and the California Gold Rush as accounts of people and their experiences, rather than just facts to be memorized. Students should begin to see history as a living thing, involved in all areas of their education.

The phrase "Manifest Destiny" is most often associated with the territorial expansion of the United States from 1815 to 1860. The time from the end of the War of 1812 to the beginning of the American Civil War has been called the "Age of Manifest Destiny". During this time, the United States expanded to the Pacific Ocean - "from sea to shining sea" - largely defining the borders of the continental United States as they are today.

Basic Resources:

• Exploration and Explorers from the Library of Congress.
• The Expansion of the American West
• Manifest Destiny from U.S. History.org
• Manifest Destiny, from Mr. Donn.org

All classes participating in this project will support the following Oklahoma PASS Standards for 8^th Grade American History:

• Standard 9: The student will evaluate and explain the Westward Expansion of the United States from 1801 to 1877.

Pre- and Post-Tests

Guest Speakers/Presentations

Staff Development Trip - Summer 2010