Howstuffworks "Native American History Glossary Videos"

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Anasazi: Petroglyphs (2:13)

Symbols carved on rock walls reveal clues about the Anasazis' spirituality.

Anasazi: Pottery (1:09)

Spiritual symbols on broken pottery lead to theories about their use in religious rituals.

Anasazi: Kivas (2:01)

Architectural structures called kivas were likely used as religious gathering places.

Pioneer Spirit: Native Americans (0:51)

Native Americans, such as the Chinook, populated this land before the arrival of European settlers.

Native America: The Transcontinental Railroad (1:29)

Once the Transcontinental Railroad connected Chicago to San Francisco, Americans settled the Great Plains. Native Americans taught them about food and medicine, and in return, they were forced to move.

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America Under Andrew Jackson: The Battle of the Alamo (15:00)

This program examines how industrialization, immigration, expansion of slavery, and western movement changed the lives of Americans under the presidency of Andrew Jackson.

Native America: The Transcontinental Railroad (1:29)

Native America: The Oregon Trail (1:47)

The British traded with natives but did not settle in the Oregon Territory. Americans followed the Oregon Trail to settle in the West; many died along the way.

Native America: The Indian Problem (1:07)

The Indian Problem was the question of whether to move or exterminate Native Americans. The Removal Act of 1830 forced all Native Americans west of the Mississippi.

Native America: Manifest Destiny (2:02)

Native Americans lost land every time America expanded. The concept that it was America's destiny to conquer land was called Manifest Destiny.

Native America: The Trail of Tears (0:31)

In 1838, 14,000 Cherokees in Georgia and Tennessee were forcibly removed from their land and sent to what is today Oklahoma.