Unit 2: Our First Communities

Big Idea Activity: What happens when different peoples first meet?
Conduct an interview about how life first changed

Conduct an interview about changes in the lives of one group of people during Missouri's early history. You will interview a classmate, who will take the role of a person from that group.

More To Explore

The First People of Missouri

The First Missourians
The Hopewell people were Mound Builders. Along with the Adena, they were among Missouri’s first people. Visit a virtual museum where you can see Hopewell pottery, decorations and tools.

Later Native Americans of Missouri
The Osage was the largest Native American group in Missouri. They built villages and everyone belonged to a clan. They lived according to the seasons, farming in the spring and hunting in the summer.

The Arrival of Europeans

The French Claim Missouri
St. Louis began as a French fur trading post and was modeled after a French colonial city. It soon became a bustling trade hub full of unique homes.

The Louisiana Purchase
President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Louisiana Territory in 1803. President Jefferson had just purchased the territory from the French. Travel with Lewis and Clark and find out what it was like to take this long and dangerous journey.

Topic Finder

Need help finding a topic? Explore these ideas for research… Missouri’s First People

Activity Suggestion

America’s first explorers settled on the east coast. European explorers eventually began to forge westward and encountered more Native Americans with whom they could trade furs. Think about why trading with Native Americans was so important to the Europeans. Work this idea into your interview.