History of American Cities - Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was first settled in 1889. Those early settlers began occupying lands that were known as "unassigned". That simply means no Native American tribes were assigned to the lands. With the land rush, about 10,000 settlers settled the area now known as
Oklahoma City. 10 years later, that number had doubled and the growth of the city was going well.
While the city suffered some lag in growth and prosperity from the 1960s to the 1980s, more recent years have show some revitalization of the urban areas and a renewed interest in the city.
Labels: History, History of American Cities
History of American Cities - Little Rock
Little Rock is the capital city of my home state. It has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and it has a rich history behind it.
It was first explored by Hernando de Soto in 1541. He was followed by other explorers who found the Arkansas River and its tributaries, cutting the state nearly in half. The variety of landscape in Arkansas - from rolling hills and mountains to the flat, delta region - serve to accommodate a wide variety of industries and farms.
Arkansas was included in the Louisiana Purchase and the history and geography of the United States was forever changed with that transaction.
Little Rock grew from a crude, rugged settlement to a center of river commerce to the metropolis it is today. A very interesting aspect of the city is the state capital building, styled as a smaller duplicate of the United States capital in Washington, D.C.
Labels: History, History of American Cities
History of American Cities - Houston
When you think of cowboys, the old west, and cattle drives, you are bound to think of Texas. Case in point, Houston, Texas, which has 171 years of history in the US. From the earliest beginnings to the Mexican American War to today,
Houston History covers the timeline, people, places, and culture of Houston. This site is so complete, you may want to devote a week's unit study to this city!
Labels: History, History of American Cities
History of American Cities - Atlanta
Considered to be a young city, Atlanta, Georgia has a rich and varied history.
Atlanta history is part of the American scene as Atlanta was a key city during our civil war and beyond. Beginning as primarily a railroad crossing, persons and freight from points north, east, south, and west converged here long before the Civil War came into play. This helped build the city as those who would have passed through decided to stay and settle this near-frontier kind of town.
Now, it's a large and thriving metropolis. Certainly, it's among the most beautiful and sophisticated cities in the US. Read the article and you can develop a one-day unit on this historic city.
Labels: History, History of American Cities
History of American Cities - St. Louis
Without a doubt,
St. Louis being known as the Gateway to the West is so true. When you cross the Mississippi River from Illinois over into St. Louis, you see the Gateway Arch welcoming you to the West.
Far different now than when Hernando de Soto first discovered the area in 1542, St. Louis still holds an attraction for those headed west on I-70, as well as those who travel on I-55 and I-44. These three interstate arteries come together in St. Louis. In the early days, river travel brought people from the north and the south together in this location.
An
interesting quiz about the interstate highways in Missouri can teach even more about the lay of the land and the state in general.
Labels: History, History of American Cities
History of American Cities - Chicago
This installment of the History of American Cities focuses on Chicago, IL. This is a city that has been through a lot of changes since it's discovery in 1673. Primitive then, it grew as a mission then finally was incorporated as a city in 1837. The
Chicago timeline could make for a very good base for part of your History of American Cities unit study.
Each point on the timeline is a link that takes you to a small blurb about that point in Chicago's history. The Great Fire is included as well as the building of the first underwater tunnel, Chicago's role in the Civil War, and the rebuilding of Chicago after the devastating fire.
Labels: History, History of American Cities
History of American cities - Las Vegas
"Las Vegas" means "The Meadows" and was named thus by explorer Rafael Rivera. He was the first person of European ancestry to view the valley where the city of Las Vegas now exists. Then, it was a valley of lush grasses and abundant water. Throughout its history, Las Vegas has been known for being a mining town of precious metals, a railroad town, the halfway point for Mormons (between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles) for supplies, legalized gambling, the Hoover Dam, and the nuclear test site north of the city.
Today, hotels such as the
Wynn Las Vegas are included into the city's landscape as easily as the Mormon Fort was in 1855. Luxury hotels, casinos, and the entertainment on the strip give Las Vegas its modern claim to fame.
Learn even more about Las Vegas history at the official website, where you'll also find a very well done
timeline.
Labels: History, History of American Cities
