Exploring the West or Daddy, why are all the white men killing our beavers?

An Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic, Standards-based Unit on Exploration of Nevada The exploration of the American West, and of Nevada in particular, was a race for control for its vast natural resources and for political hedgemony of the continent from the East Coast to the West Coast. The explorers who first entered the area did so for a wide spectrum of reasons. Some came for riches. Others came at the order of Presidents or Army superiors. These explorers laid the foundation for the supplanting of the aboriginal Americans and the areas eventual incorporation into the United States of America. These colorful characters contributed much in the way of stories (literature), music, art, and history to our cultural identities as Americans. The intent of this unit is for students to understand and appreciate this vital part of Nevada's history to explain the explorer's role in Nevada's development as a region, territory and state, and explain Nevada's importance in the history of the United States.