Free Printables and Unit Studies About the Pony Express

I will be the first to admit that I was never a history buff, so teaching history means learning right along with my kids. We studied the Westward Expansion last year and used these free printables and unit studies about The Pony Express.

The Westward Expansion in brief:

Westward expansion occurred in the 19^th Century where a movement of settlers migrated to the American West following the Louisiana Purchase. The motivating factors were the Gold Rush, the Oregon Trail, owning land in the west, opportunities in the cattle industry, and the belief of manifest destiny to name a few – (Manifest destiny, an idea to expand settlement throughout North America).

Here comes The Pony Express:

The Pony Express is one of the most notable marks of Westward Expansion in the United States.

This system was an actual mail delivery service made of men riding horses from Missouri and California. Because of the Pony Express, mail could be delivered to California in about 9 to 10 days.

So, the Pony Express used a planned route where riders carried mail from station to station. At each station, the mail carriers would switch to fresh horses and every hundred or so miles, the riders would be replaced. This meant the speed was kept steady across every route.

The route was 1,900 miles, and there were 184 stations in between. It stretched over the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and eventually, to California.

Before the Pony Express, there were several ways kids got mail.

1- The most popular way to send mail was by ship from the New York ports across the Isthmus of Panama by mule, and this was followed by another ship to San Francisco. This took months.

2- Others used covered wagons and stagecoaches from Missouri to California. This method took about 25 days.

3- There was a third route that went on the southern route to the West Coast called the Butterfield Overland Mail Company. This was also about 25 days.

Of course, when the Civil War was approaching, people needed quicker mail service for communication, and the settlements across the westward areas had a growing demand for faster service, and the Pony Express was born. 

The Pony Express didn’t last very long, but it was a key factor in growing communication across America.

Explore these free printables and unit studies about the Pony Express:

5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Pony Express | We Are the Mighty

FREE Pony Express Notebooking Page | Homeschool Helper Online

Pony Express, California Gold Rush, & Transcontinental Railroad for Kids FREE Resources | 123 Homeschool 4 Me

FREE Resources for Kids – Pony Express (Western Expansion) | Mr. Donn.com

We Were There with the Pony Express Unit | Homeschool on the Range

The Pony Express FREE Unit Study | Simply Necessary

(FREE) The Pony Express: A Unit Study | DIY Homeschooler

History: Pony Express FREE Quiz | Ducksters

The Pony Express | Social Studies For Kids

History of The Pony Express | History for kids

Pony Express Facts for Kids | American History for Kids

The Pony Express Rocks

10 Things You May Not Know About the Pony Express | History.com

The Pony Express Lasted Only 18 Months | National Geographic

Pony Express History | America Comes Alive

The Pony Express: A History Just for Kids! | Love Reading 4 Kids

Pony Express Reading Comprehension Resource FREE (Grades 3 – 4) | edHelper

Pony Express Reading Comprehension Resource FREE (Grades 4-6) | edHelper

FREE The Pony Express – Mini Unit Study | Easy Fun School

Check out this list of books from your local library all about the Pony Express:

Cowboys, Indians, the Pony Express and the Wild Wild West Library Books | Farm Fresh Adventures

Pony Express History Children’s Books to Check out at the Library | The Best Children’s Books

Simple but fun crafts and activities to add to your Pony Express lessons:

10 Westward Expansion Hands-on History Activities | Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool plus

FREE Pony Express Coloring Page  | Raising Our Kids

Hobby Horse Craft |Messy Little Monster

D.I.Y. Horse Silhouette Jar | Thoughtful DIY Creations

Kid’s Horse Craft Made from a Wrapping Paper Tube | Crafty Morning

Videos to watch about the Pony Express for your visual learners:

All About the Pony Express – SPIRIT COMES TO LIFE | DreamWorks Spirit

A Kid Explains the Pony Express | A Kid Explains History

Pony Express for Kids | Bedtime History

The Pony Express – A Revolution in Transportation and Communication (NHD 2013 Documentary) | It’s Kam

Here are some cool facts about The Pony Express that your kids (and you) may find interesting:

• Riders had to be 125 lbs or less in order to not stress the horses.
• Buffalo Bill was a Pony Express rider and became famous as he put on his famous Wild West Shows.
• Only one rider and one shipment was ever lost during the entirety of  the Pony Express (April 3, 1860 to October 24, 1861 – I guess one person isn’t that bad ~ insert sarcasm).
• Riders traveled 75 to 100 miles per day, and their horses would be switched every 10 to 12 miles as mentioned above.
• The very fastest delivery was 7 days and 17 hours to deliver President Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address.

Here are some resources in the event you want to complete the Westward Expansion unit:

Westward Expansion Writing Activities | In All You Do

FREE Westward Expansion Emergent Readers | In All You Do

Westward Expansion FREE Coloring Pages and Westward Expansion FREE Puzzles/Activities | In All You Do

Free Printables and Unit Studies About Lewis and Clark

Teaching Westward Expansion and the Pioneers Fun Ideas | Literacy Math Ideas

U.S. History: Westward Expansion | Education.com

Studying Westward expansion is learning an important part of American History. It is how people first settled into more and more places of North America.

Some things about expansion westward were tough, and the history wasn’t all pleasant, to say the least. There were also clear negatives to westward expansion, but nonetheless, it is a critical part of American history, and the Pony Express was an integral part of it.