United States History Student Edition

The Santa Fe Trail The 900-mile (1,448-km) Santa Fe Trail was an important trade route between the United States and Mexico in the early 1800s.

GEOGRAPHY CONNECTION Patterns and Movement On the way west, which two trails could be taken after leaving Ft. Dodge?

110°W

105°W

40°N

90°W

100°W

N

Kansas

95°W

Colorado

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Independence

W

Ft. Lyon

E

Ft. Zarah

Bent’s Fort

Ft. Dodge

Council Grove

Missouri

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Ft. Larned

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A

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Lower Spring

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Willow Bar

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Santa Fe

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R

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M

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Ft. Union

Arkansas

a

Oklahoma

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35°N

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New Mexico

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Texas

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R i o

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200 miles

The Santa Fe Trail Present-day state borders

200 kilometers

0

Albers Equal-Area projection

Countries want to export goods of which they have a large supply. They want to import goods that are hard to find or produce in their own land. In the early years of the colonies, colonists provided Great Britain with raw materials, such as lumber, and received from Britain tea and fine cloth. Early Americans often traded by bartering. When people barter , goods and services are traded for other goods and services. For example, a doctor who delivered a baby might be paid with several of the family’s chickens. Eventually, money replaced barter as the preferred means of exchange. Money had a set value, could be traded for anything, and was easier to carry than, say, chickens. 7 CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING 1. Explaining Why is scarcity an important concept? 2. Summarizing Why do countries trade? History and Civics GUIDING QUESTION How are history and civics related? Understanding history helps us understand where we came from and who we are today. One important subject area that historians need to understand is civics. Civics is the study of the barter to trade by exchanging one good or service for another civics the study of the rights and duties of citizens

rights and duties of citizens. It also considers the role of citizens in their government. A government is the ruling authority for a community or society. Most governments today are based on constitutions. A constitution is a

detailed, written plan of government. Functions and Forms of Government

The main functions of government are to make laws, maintain order, protect the people, and interact with the governments of other states. Governments can take many forms, but these four are common throughout history: • A monarchy is rule by a single person. The right to rule in a monarchy is often handed down within the same family. • Democracy is rule by the people. • A republic is rule by elected representatives, who are usually chosen by the people. • Authoritarian rule or dictatorship is rule by one person, who usually has seized all power. The United States is a constitutional republic. In this system, the people are the ultimate source of governmental power. Rights of Citizenship In the United States today, all Americans have several basic rights, including the right to seek life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. All Americans also have the right to freedom of expression.

Historian’s Toolkit HT25