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What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer
the Following Questions: The American Indians drew their markings on rocks in places where other people were likely to see and use them. For example, they would mark a rock where two trails crossed or on a wall of a cave used for shelter. Did you know Map Rock is a famous petroglyph? It is located near what is today Givens Hot Springs, Idaho. Map Rock is in a field of petroglyphs. Historians believe these markings were drawn in this location to describe nearby Snake River. American Indians also described locations by word of mouth and repeating stories. Sometimes, they would draw a map in the dirt or sand. These maps were not permanent. Sometimes, they would draw semi-permanent maps on tree bark or animal hide. When European explorers first came to the American West in the early 1500's, two things happened. First, Europeans began to discover and save the American Indian maps. Second, the American Indians learned to use paper, pens, and other writing tools introduced by the Europeans. Did you know Miguel's Map is one of the earliest known Indian maps written in pen? Miguel measured the distances between pueblos (or villages) by counting how many days it took him to get from one pueblo to another. Later Miguel's Map was sent to an archive in Seville, Spain. Did you know an archive is a place where historical documents are kept? 2. Who were the first
Europeans to explore and map the American West? Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was a Spanish conquistador. A conquistador was a leader of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, the American Southwest, and Peru in the 1500's. Cabeza de Vaca explored the American Southwest from 1527 to 1537, through Cuba, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico City. His discoveries improved the Spaniards' understanding and mapping of the American West. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado was another famous Spanish explorer. He was looking for the Seven Cities of Gold. In 1539, Coronado sent Marcos de Niza and Estevan to search for the Seven Cities of Gold. American Indians directed them to Cíbola as the first city. However, the "gold" turned out to be turquoise (a greenish-blue semi-precious stone), and turquoise was of little value. The Seven Cities of Gold was only a legend, and Coronado never found these cities. From 1540 to 1542, Coronado explored Mexico, and what today we call Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Did you know several men from his expedition were the first Europeans to see the Grand Canyon? The information Coronado gained from his explorations was valuable to making better maps. Other Spanish explorers or explorers who sail for Spain also gained valuable information which helped to make better maps. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was the first European to see the coast of California and discover San Diego Bay. Gaspar de Portolá led the first land expedition to explore northern California in the 1700's. Juan Bautista de Anza led the first Europeans to San Francisco in 1776, and he opened an overland route from San Diego to Monterey. 3. On what date and
from what city did the Lewis and Clark Expedition begin? In the 1800's, river travel was an important part of trade, commerce, and travel, and the newly formed United States wanted to control important rivers and ports. In 1800, the United States consisted of land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from the French. The Louisiana Territory was 828,000 square miles. It stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada and from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. This land deal doubled the size of the United States by one stroke of the pen. By controlling the Louisiana Territory, the United States now had access to the Port of New Orleans, the Mississippi River, and the Missouri River. President Jefferson asked Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Missouri River and look for the Northwest Passage (a continuous waterway across North America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean). The official name of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was the Corps of Discovery. During the winter of 1804-1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition set up camp with the Mandan Indians in present-day North Dakota. The Mandan Chief, Chief Big White, helped Lewis and Clark by drawing maps. Lewis and Clark's stay at Fort Mandan was also helpful because they met Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife, Sacagawea. Charbonneau and Sacagawea joined the expedition. As a Shoshone, Sacagawea was a valuable guide because she knew American Indian languages and customs. Read about Sacagawea. On April 7, 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition left Fort Mandan. They saw the Rocky Mountains for the first time on May 26. They carried their boats across the Great Falls of the Missouri. When they reached the Rocky Mountains, they needed to trade with the Shoshone for horses to make the journey across the mountains and the Continental Divide. Did you know the Continental Divide is an elevated area in the Rocky Mountains separating the rivers flowing west from the rivers flowing east? Sacagawea's brother was the Shoshone chief, and Sacagawea was helpful in getting twenty-nine horses for the expedition. After crossing the Rocky Mountains, the expedition met the Nez Perce. Did you know Nez Perce means pierced nose? The Nez Perce used maps to describe the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers to the expedition. On November 15, 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the Pacific Ocean. The expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806 near the Pacific Ocean, and then traveled back to St. Louis, Missouri. They returned in St. Louis on September 23, 1806. Did you know it took them two years, four months, and nine days to travel about 8,000 miles? On their journey, the Lewis and Clark Expedition brought clothes, tools, scientific books, medicine, rifles, and trade goods. Along the route, they studied the land, plants, animals, and American Indians. They saw new animals, including pronghorn antelope, buffalo, prairie dogs, jackrabbits, and coyotes. They met American Indians, including Hidatsa, Mandan, Otoe, Missouri, Teton Sioux, Yankton Sioux, Arikara, Shoshone, and Nez Perce. Clark was the mapmaker on the journey. He measured distances, described what he saw, and drew pictures. He also named rivers, meadows, mountains, mountain passes, and rock formations. Did you know the first official map of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was published in 1814? 4. Who is Pikes Peak
named for? Pike was an explorer in the early 1800's. In 1805, he set off to find the source of the Mississippi River and to get permission from the American Indians for the United States to establish U.S. forts. Pike and his party thought two lakes in Minnesota were the source of the Mississippi River. They were Red Cedar Lake (today known as Cass Lake) and Leech Lake. It was later discovered the real source was Lake Itasca in Minnesota. In 1806, Pike explored the Arkansas River, Red River, and the Rocky Mountains. In the Rocky Mountains, Pike saw a towering peak and called it "Grand Peak." Today, we call this mountain Pikes Peak. Did you know it is 14,110 feet high? Pike and his party continued south into Spanish territory until they were captured by the Spanish. Although Pike was released in 1807, the Spaniards kept his notes and papers so there is no written record of his findings. 5. True or False: Lines
of longitude run from north to south, and lines of latitude run
from east to west. 6.
What year did the U.S. Geological Survey officially begin mapping
the United States? Today, different maps are used for different purposes. There are maps for hikers, maps for scientists, maps of vegetation, maps of highways, and maps of populations. Political maps mark boundaries of cities, counties, states, and countries. Shaded relief maps show the land shapes and features, including mountains, valleys, rivers, and lakes. Topographic maps use imaginary lines and colors to show the area's elevation above sea level. What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the
following words: Expedition: A journey made for a definite purpose; a group making such a journey Great Plains: Vast dry grasslands in North America extending from northern Canada to Texas Route: A specific road or line of travel Survey: (verb) To find out measurements, position, boundaries, or elevation of a land by measuring angles and distances; (noun) the act of measuring land Topographical: Relating to maps and landscape Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the
Following Questions for Your FREE
Bookmark): The Mexican War was fought between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. One of the reasons the United States fought this war was to gain more land. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (gwahd-uhl-OOP hih-DAHL-goh) stated Mexico would surrender land that later became the states known as California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming. After gaining this new territory, the United States needed maps to mark the new boundaries. The Mexican Boundary Survey set the new borders. b. Describe ONE of the
following people:
c.
Use five of the words in Section 2 in a sentence.
d. Have a parent or friend give you a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2. More Valuable Information about the
American West:
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The American West In Depth: The American West Main Page Exploring & Mapping the American West in Depth The Battle of the Alamo in Depth Asian-Americans in the Old West in Depth | The Pony Express in Depth Reading Program: Main Page | List of Subjects American Symbols | Native Americans | American Biographies | African-American History | Women in History | U.S. History | The American West | U.S. Government | Explorers | American Trails | U.S. Holidays | Patriots | National Parks
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Exploring and Mapping the American West (Cornerstones of Freedom)
Miguel:
He was a Pueblo Indian from the area known today as New Mexico.
Around 1600, he was captured by the Spanish and taken to Mexico
City, Mexico. In 1602, he was told to draw a map of the Indian
pueblos. He measured the distances between pueblos by counting
how many days it took him to get from one pueblo to another. Today,
Miguel's Map is one of the earliest known Indian maps written
in pen. Did you know a pueblo
is a village of buildings made of adobe or stone usually built
by American Indians in the American Southwest?
