In the 1850’s the United States faced one of the most important issues which was the Westward Expansion. The Westward Expansion was the movement of easterners to the West.
It impacted many people and the way of life in America.This movement created many hardships as well as successes. There are many reasons why easterners moved westward. One reason, based on Document two, is because of the great gold discoveries in California. In 1859 two young prospectors found gold in the Sierra Nevada and the word spread to the East. Many miners went to the West to “strike it rich” and the Gold Rush begun. Another reason why people went West is because they heard of the Homestead Act. This act by congress promised 160 acres of land to anyone who
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One major effect was they were losing their land to Americans after gold was found at Pikes Peak, Colorado in 1858. Settlers and miners rushed to the lands and asked the government for protection from the Indians. The Indians were then told to sign a treaty giving up the land around Pikes Peak and they lost their land. Another way the United States impacted the life was the killing of buffalo. In Document 1, it describes how important the buffalo was to the Native Americans. The Native Americans did not respond peacefully to this. It caused a lot of fighting because the Americans had not kept their promises. The Americans and the Indians agreed to the Fort Laramie Treaty that had said the Native Americans would have their lands forever. After a lot of fighting the Indians finally gave up. Based on Document 7, it states how Chief Joseph finally surrendered to the United States government troops. Lastly they used every part of the buffalo and did not waste anything. When they had saw that the Americans had been killing all the buffalo for entertainment, and for only their hides, they could not believe what they saw. The killing of the buffalo impacted in many changes in their traditions and way of
The westward expansion of America in the 1800s shaped the borders of the country and changed the nation as a whole, but was it really destiny? The idea that changed Americans’ attitudes and encouraged them to bravely travel into the wild west was essential to the growth of the new country. The growth of America at the time would ultimately lead to the ending of slavery, a major shift in the economy, and would allow Americans to live the life they dreamed of. The United States before westward expansion was overpopulated, and cities on the East coast were unsanitary and crowded. America’s population grew by 8 million people from 1850 to 1860.
Robert Morgan was saying that, “...westward expansion or Manifest Destiny, [is] ‘the greatest folk movement of modern times…”(2). For an example in The Way to Rainy Mountain Momaday stated that “There came a day like destiny: in every direction, as far as the eye could see…” For this reason, westward expansion greatly influenced the citizens because of exploring with it will open a person’s mind to new things. Morgan
It was felt that America had a destiny to grow across the continent and with that growth create new unlimited opportunities for wealth, adventure and freedom. The Westward Expansion fulfilled the Manifest Destiny of the United States and brought many changes
By the 1860’s more than half of the American population was located west of the Appalachian Mountains. This area was known as the Far West or as many nineteenth century Americans called it, “The Great West.” This migration of people was caused by the West’s connection to political, transportation, and financial progress. All three of these aspects were extremely important in American migration to the Great West and they helped shape the structure for America as it is today. The Political need for new classes caused by industrialism and abolition of slavery, the opening of jobs and new business involving financial situations and the boost of transportation that would expand almost everything.
At first, purchasing land was very expensive. However, President Abraham Lincoln compromised. He created a law called the Homestead Act. This law made it so that you could get a free plot of land for only an $18 application fee (a whopping $420.78 today)! You had to be over 21 years of age, and even former slaves (but not current ones), single women, and immigrants could receive 160 acres of free land.
In order for these settlers to receive there free land they must fill out an application and will receive 160 acres of government land.
had a God given mission to spread its civilization by conquest to the entire western hemisphere no matter who it harmed. The reasons for Manifest Destiny: - Technology like the telegraph, steamships, and railroads liked far distant places like Oregon and California that had seemed to remote. - Belief that the democracy must continue to grow in order to survive and a desire to expand the benefits of Americans. - Southerners were anxious to acquire new lands for additional slave states.
The Westward Expansion began in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. President Thomas Jefferson wanted to make the United States a better place and to do so he believed that if people moved to the west that the nation would improve. ‘By 1840 almost 7 million Americans had migrated westward in hopes of securing land and being prosperous.’ This was the beginning of the westward expansion with the Louisiana Purchase.
After their exploration, many people started to take interest in moving West. There were many different reasons why people moved, including a search for a fresh start at life, a chance at starting an economic success through agriculture and
The Whites benefited from it by gaining more land but was also a consequence because the Indians still, hunted and raided on the territory. The reason the Indians didn’t abide by the treaty was the fact that they thought that the land couldn’t be owned. They thought the treaty was nonsense but signed anyway it to get free food. The next year President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act of 1862. The Homestead Act promoted westward expansion and further displaced Indians.
-PBS (WHY). This greatly affected the Indians since they lost so many lives that day. The adaptation to the whites, the extinction of buffalo, and the domination of whites are just some of the reasons how the Native Americans land and culture was affected by the Westward Expansion. Although the Native Americans lost much of their homeland and their way of life, they still proved that even threw the worst conditions possible they stick together and fight through
For some, it was destiny to move west. Although there were many conflicts and disagreements between ourselves and others, it was destiny to move west because of overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities. In the 19th Century, overpopulation was one of the major reasons for Westward Expansion. Immigrants were flooding into America for new opportunities and new ways of life and there was just not enough land to suffice the needs for all of the people. These immigrants were arriving in America in the port cities on the East Coast.
Exam Paper 1 In what ways did the American West of the late nineteenth century represent a contrast to the East? In what ways did the two regions resemble each other?
Collins, T. L. (2014). Into the west. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press. Into the West is a great book to use in this unit because it focuses on not just what happened during the U.S. westward expansion but also the causes and effects of it.
The Westward Expansion consisted of almost 7 million Americans migrating west, hoping to get land and be wealthy. It is often called Manifest Destiny, because many people believed settlers was intended to expand the west. Because so many people thought this way it was also thought the U.S was physically separated from Europe. This migration of people included people from Spain, France, Mexico, and other countries. The Western Expansion had a part in the foreign policies in the expansion towards the pacific and the way the U.S treated their relationship with other