Westward Expansion in Texas and Indigenous Nations

Students begin by creating a class What We Know chart about indigenous people of Texas. Next they learn about the role of the forts on the Texas frontier, and they compare maps from pre-and post-Civil War. Then they read about the Red River Wars and the effort to relocate indigenous people onto reservations. They explain the impact of commercial buffalo hunting on the indigenous people in the plains. Finally they write about how westward expansion impacted the choices indigenous people had to make.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

Overview

In this experience, students begin by creating a class What We Know chart about indigenous people of Texas. Next they learn about the role of the forts on the Texas frontier, and they compare maps from pre-and post-Civil War. Then they read about the Red River Wars and the effort to relocate indigenous people onto reservations. They explain the impact of commercial buffalo hunting on the indigenous people in the plains. Finally they write about how westward expansion impacted the choices indigenous people had to make.
If you have not yet assigned the Unit 1 lesson: “Case Study: An Indigenous Nation, ” you might choose to do so in parallel to this lesson.
If you have access to leveled readers about Texas forts or life on a reservation, assign them to the students in parallel to this experience.

Estimated duration: 35-45 minutes

Vocabulary words:

resident
abandoned
dependent
commercial
sacred
interfere
reservation

Objective

Describe the effects of westward expansion and the Red River War on indigenous people in Texas.

Engage

Following the Civil War, the Texas population continued to grow quickly. As the population expanded westward across the Texas frontier, conflict with indigenous people in Texas also continued to grow. In this lesson, you will learn about the U.S. government’s actions to control the indigenous nations in Texas.

Objective

Describe the effects of westward expansion and the Red River War on indigenous people in Texas.

painting of Anglos in uniforms chasing Indians, everyone is on horses

Cavalry and Indigenous People

As a class, recall what you know about the indigenous people living in Texas. If someone has already listed what you know, try to think of something else to post.

Students may remember some key points:

Some tribal nations were settled, mainly in eastern Texas and the far western part of the state.

Nomadic people lived primarily in the Plains areas.

Over time, more nomadic people moved into Texas, pushing other tribal nations farther south into Mexico.

Throughout the years of the Republic of Texas, President Houston had tried to achieve a treaty with different indigenous nations, but President Lamar fought them.

The indigenous people of the plains were dependent on the buffalo for survival.

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.