Essay on Westward Expansion - 781 Words

Book Review – Westward Expansion 1807 - 1880 THESIS: After the War of 1812 much of Americas attention turned to exploration and settlement of its territory to the West, which had been greatly enlarged by the Louisiana Purchase. SUMMARY: Families of pioneers swept westward and founded new communities throughout what is now the Midwest, and between 1816 and 1821, six new states were admitted to the Union. The land boom was fed by encouragement from the federal government and the actions of land speculators, who bought up large tracts of land in order to sell it in parcels to farmers at exorbitant prices. These farmers did not mind high prices and high interest on loans due to the growing success of American agricultural products. Most†¦show more content†¦The canal and railroad systems, which grew up in the North, facilitated a much larger volume of trade and manufacturing while reducing costs a great deal. Great cities sprang up throughout the North and Northwest, bolstered by the improvement in transportation. After the Midwest had been substantially developed, the national focus turned toward the far west. The territory of Texas, controlled by the Spanish, was settled by Americans, who eventually undertook the Texas Rebellion in efforts to win independence. When the United States admitted Texas to the Union in 1845, the Mexican government was outraged, and from 1846 to 1848, the two nations squared off in the Mexican War. With a resounding victory, the United States gained control of Texas, New Mexico, and California. The Oregon territory was annexed in 1846 as well, and the US controlled the land all the way to the Pacific Ocean. As the population of the West soared and the prospects of statehood for western territories appeared clearer and clearer, the nation battled over the future of slavery in the West. This battle was one reason for the Civil War, which slowed the acceleration of expansion. However, the last three decades of the nineteenth century saw the return of accelerating expansion due to the successful struggle to contain the Plains Indians in reservations, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. By theShow MoreRelatedThe Expansion Of The Westward Expansion904 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many actions that led to the westward expansion. Most of the actions resulted in conflicts which led to harsh consequences. Despite Texas being an independent nation, conflict still arose over the rightful owner of the land. Some of the main causes for westward expansion was land, war, power and the most important was freedom. During the 1840’s west of the Unites States had an abund ance of scarcely inhabited land. The thought of cheap land, room for families to grow, and business opportunityRead MoreEffects Of Westward Expansion715 Words   |  3 PagesWestward expansion was a time of successes and failures, a time celebrations and grief, a time full of life and death but in the end it shaped how America is the way is today. Westward expansion was put in action because of the belief of Manifest Destiny, the belief that it is America fate to expand from the Atlantic to Pacific ocean. The economical, political and humanitarians impacts were necessary to achieve the goal of manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion. Westward Expansion had the biggestRead MoreEssay Westward Expansion639 Words   |  3 PagesWestward  Expansion   During  the  1800’s,  American  citizens  packed  up  and  headed  West  to  the  new  unknown   land  of  the  United  States  of  America.  Western  expansion  was  a  great  part  of  the  growth  of  the   United  States  because  it  gave  Americans  new  land  to  settle,  expanded  its  economy,  and  made  the   United  States  a  world  power.  The  desire  to  expand  was  described  by  newspaper  editor  John   O’Sullivan  who  wrote,  it  is  America’s  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Manifest  Destiny  to  overspread  and  to  possess  the  whole   of  the  continent†.   First  of  allRead MoreThe Rise Of Westward Expansion897 Words   |  4 PagesManifest Destiny also fueled the westward expansion. Manifest Destiny, or the idea that Americans were given the right and duty to spread over the continent of North America and advocate for democracy by God made the idea of American conquest of western territory seemed honorable. This idea of American supremacy, rooted in the phrase â€Å"Manifest Destiny,† together with Americans’ economic incentives to gain more wealth, territory, and resources propelled the westward expansion, and thus, increasing the powersRead MoreImpact Of Westward Expansion1031 Words   |  5 PagesThe late 1800’s were a booming time for the United States. Reconstruction had ended and Westward Expansion was on the rise. People from all over the U.S. were moving west and claiming land and many groups from across the world made their way to the United States to find new opportunity and to escape oppression. This led to a huge growth in diversity in the United State and helped make a major impact on what we consider to be the modern united states. Everything from the economy to social groups wereRead More Westward Expansion Essay1520 Words   |  7 Pages WESTWARD EXPANSION The movement of people that has resulted in the settlement of America is one of the most fascinating and significant topics in the history of the United States. Nowhere else has an area of equal size been settled as a result of the initiative of small groups and individuals. Westward expansion helped stimulate the American economy. The first organized migration to California originated in Platte County, on the far western frontier of Missouri. Reports described CaliforniaRead MoreThe Westward Expansion Of The United States960 Words   |  4 PagesThe Westward expansion began for the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. For $15 million dollars, President Thomas Jefferson purchased from France 828,000 square miles, including most of 14 current states, thus doubling the size of America. Jefferson now had the land, but how to populate it was another story. On a three year expedition, Lewis and Clark were sent by Jefferson to explore the lands to get a better understanding of the geography and resources of the West. During the 1830sRead MoreThe Westward Expansion Of The United States1144 Words   |  5 Pagesconstant branching and expansion.† That quote, once said by Stephen Jay Gould, can represent the Westward Expansion of the United States. In the early 1800s, the United States started tryin g to expand west. The U.S. acquired Florida, Texas, the Gadsden Territory, the Mexican Cession, the Oregon Territory, and the Louisiana Territory. All of those acquisitions helped evolve the United States into what it is today. Almost all of the land we own is from the Westward Expansion. Unfortunately, the UnitedRead MoreWestward Expansion in America in the 1800s1547 Words   |  7 Pagesachieved, people have to realize the process they had to do to achieve it, which was stepping on other people to get there. Westward expansion was the greatest method to achieve the grouping of the natural resources found and use them as needed. To gain access to the western part of the country the white settlers had to pass through the Native Americans. While pushing westward the white culture clashed with the plain indians and their culture. As a result of this clash bloody battles surged and theRead MoreThe Transcontinental Railroad and Westward Expansion2707 Words   |  11 PagesThe Transcontinental Railroad and Westward Expansion Thesis: The transcontinental railroad greatly increased Westward expansion in the United States of America during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The history of the United States has been influenced by England in many ways. In the second half of the 1800 s, the railroad, which was invented in England, had a major effect on Western expansion in the United States. Railroads were born in England, a country with dense populations