The Museum of Westward Expansion charts the entire history of the 19th century American West, from the Louisiana Purchase to the closing of the frontier in 1890.

Click on a decade in the list below or at the bottom of each decade page to learn about the major events which shaped this incredible period, an era of major technological improvements, mass migrations, bitter conflicts, and epic exploration.

A broader timeline, with graphics, can also be viewed on the Lewis and Clark website, The Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery.

1800-1810
1810-1820
1820-1830
1830-1840
1840-1850
1850-1860
1860-1870
1870-1880
1880-1890
1890-1900