Westward Expansion Acrostic Poem

The Westward Expansion of the United States of America is an important part of the country’s history. It is the process of the American settlers moving westwards across the continent in search of new lands and opportunities. This process, which began in the early 19th century, is often remembered through an acrostic poem. An acrostic poem is a type of poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or phrase.

The Westward Expansion acrostic poem is an easy way to remember the key events of the expansion. It starts with the letter “W” for the War of 1812, which was a conflict between the United States and Great Britain that lasted until 1815. The expansion continued with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which was a major land purchase from France that nearly doubled the size of the United States.

The letter “E” stands for the Expedition of Lewis and Clark, which was an exploration of the newly acquired Louisiana Territory from 1804 to 1806. The letter “S” is for the settlement of the Oregon Territory, which was a region between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean that was settled by American pioneers in the early 19th century.

The letter “T” is for the Trail of Tears, which was the forced relocation of Native American tribes from the southeastern United States to Oklahoma in the 1830s. The letter “W” is for the War with Mexico, which was a conflict between the United States and Mexico that lasted from 1846 to 1848 and resulted in the acquisition of land from Mexico.

The letter “A” is for the Allied Indian Wars, which was a series of conflicts between the United States and Native American tribes in the 19th century. Lastly, the letter “R” is for the Reconstruction Era, which was a period of rebuilding and reform in the United States following the Civil War.



The Westward Expansion acrostic poem is a great way to remember the key events of the American Westward Expansion. It starts with the War of 1812 and ends with the Reconstruction Era. Each letter of the poem stands for an important event in the expansion, from the Louisiana Purchase to the Allied Indian Wars.