Packing the West ®, a Western Writers of America Classroom Literary project, tells the story of the American frontier from the perspective of the American Indians, the trappers and hunters who navigated the wilderness, the black cowboys who wrangled horses and cattle, the mountain men and fur traders, and the women who traveled across the country to stake gold claims and become school teachers.

Packing the West depicts our nation’s past through the unique experiences of the men and women who made that history possible.

Legendary characters who traveled west of the Mississippi included many colorful men and women who helped mold the American frontier. These characters exhibited independence and created opportunities by overcoming formidable challenges. Their stories represent the diversity of the Western population, including William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s connection to the Pony Express and African American cowboy Nat Love.

Supplemental teaching material and lesson plans about Nat Love give teachers a guide to the cattle trails and cowboy life in the 1800s. Students will learn about early mail service in the West by using the materials related to the Pony Express. [Bill Cody – Pony Express | Nat Love]

Bill Cody – Pony Express

Nat Love

The stories of the American Indians in the West represent issues faced by tribal members during the period of the Westward Expansion. The first stories in our series show how they fought for their civil rights and adapted in order to serve their people. Our stories highlight Susan LeFlesche Picotte, a woman of the Omaha tribe, and Chief Standing Bear, a leader of the Ponca tribe from Nebraska.

Supplemental teaching material and lesson plans for this subject area provide further study and classroom exercises related to the stories of Standing Bear of the Poncas and Susan LeFlesche Picotte, American Indian doctor. [Susan LeFlesche Picotte | Chief Standing Bear]

Susan LaFlesche Picotte

Chief Standing Bear

Overland trails were popular means of travel used throughout the nineteenth century, especially between 1830 and 1870. Various motives spurred settlers to emigrate from the eastern United States, among them opportunities to claim land, escape religious persecution, and take advantage of economic incentives. They traveled such pathways as the Oregon, California, Santa Fe, and Mormon Trails.

Supplemental teaching material and lesson plans for this subject area include in-depth material related to the American fur trade, the fur trade rendezvous system, and the establishment of trading posts and frontier forts. Specific information is provided about Jim Bridger and William Bent, two early frontier traders. [Jim Bridger | William Bent & Bent’s Old Fort]

Jim Bridger

William Bent & Bent’s Old Fort

Discover how the Women of the Old West shaped and settled the frontier through captivating stories. Women crossed the trails, they helped build towns, they claimed land under the Homestead Act, and they built communities from businesses to schools to churches. They showed confidence as they undertook both traditional and non-traditional roles. The stories we tell involve the adventures of a woman gold miner and the travels of a pioneer school teacher.

Supplemental teaching material and lesson plans about Women of the Old West reflect the experiences of women who were involved in the California Gold Rush. Another subject area combines overland travel with frontier school teaching. [Louise Clappe | Mary Graves Clarke]

Louise Clappe

Mary Graves Clarke

The Homestead Foundation ® is the fundamental developer of Packing the West responsible for the overall planning, development, content creation, and management of the project. Formed in 2000, The Homestead Foundation’s mission is to provide support to Western Writers of America and its educational and award programs.

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