Unit 1: Missouri’s Land and People
Unit 1: Field Trip ST. LOUIS
The city of St. Louis is known as the Gateway to the West. American pioneers started heading toward the Pacific Ocean in search of land and gold in the 19th century. Their journey began in St. Louis.
GATEWAY ARCH
A contest was held in 1947 to find a design for a national monument commemorating westward expansion. A man named Eero Saarinen won the contest. His design included the Gateway Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion. Situated alongside the Mississippi River, the steel Gateway Arch was an engineering marvel for its time. It soars 630 feet into the sky.
OLD COURTHOUSE
Built in 1859, the Old Courthouse in St. Louis was the scene of many important trials in American history. Today the courthouse is a museum that documents what life was like in early St. Louis. Mock trials are often held in two of the courtrooms. Visitors can play key roles in re-enactments of famous trials.
MUSEUM OF WESTWARD EXPANSION
Visitors to the Museum of Westward Expansion can go back in time and travel along with pioneers into the American West. A life-size statue of Thomas Jefferson greets guests entering the building. It was Jefferson who sent Lewis and Clark to explore the Louisiana Purchase and beyond. Exhibits include photos of the trail that led west and parts of Lewis and Clark’s journals.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
The Mississippi is the second largest river in America. It begins in Minnesota and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The Louisiana Transfer Document was signed on the St. Louis waterfront in March of 1804. This document transferred ownership of the Louisiana Territory from France to the United States
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IN MISSOURI
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