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American Frontier Expansion

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Texas was a natural target for western expansion due to several reasons. Its proximity to the settled Southwest and the fact that mountains did not buffer it made it favourable (Billington, Ray, & Martin, 2001). Following the expansion, code that would regulate the people 's behaviour was necessary. Various scholars have tried to dictate the fact that there was no code. However, there existed unwritten rules that were centred on fair play, loyalty, and respect for the land. One Historian, Ramon Adams explained it best through his 1969 book: The Cowman and His Code of Ethics.
Individuals in the West took pride in upholding their unwritten laws. People would break other laws of the territory, state and federal government but never on the codes. …show more content…

As Turner pointed out, his own views on how he believes that the American frontier was formed by the different characteristics of the people who made it happen and formed America. He states that the attraction to the frontier made a dramatic change to America and the West due to the different cultures each race brought unto the country allowing each one to accept as well change persons perspective of each others culture. (Turner, 1996.) The frontier helped everybody make a part of the history because of the necessities the frontier helped provide. It was and it continues to be a part of history because the frontier continues to change peoples life as they still continue …show more content…

In conclusion, the frontier spirit and the code of the West are and will always remain to be legends for all generations. Back then the times were more dangerous and harder to survive due to everybody trying to overcome one another. Violence and cruelty were the norms but so did the emergence of numerous heroes (Slotkin, 1973). As time progressed, with all the changed all the different races united as one, the United States changed. It was turned completly around and now it still remains to be known as the "Land of the Free." In othe words, the frontier and the Code of the West made American and have since influenced much of what has

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In 1893 Frederic Jackson Turner a historian, introduces the “Frontier Thesis” in Columbian Exposition, he explains from this thesis about the importance of American history. Frontier thesis remarks the end of a great historic society. Because Frederic Jackson argues that continuous western settlement had an extraordinary impact on American social, political and economic development throughout 20th

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Lilly Fuller-Delmont                                        1/17/18 S.S8                        DBQ Essay                    Per.3 In the mid 18th century settlers moved to the west. Their move brought them more opportunities and a better lifestyle on the frontier. Such as the transcontinental Railroad.

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There were both positive and negative components of westward expansion from 1800 to 1875. By the late of 1800s, the land of the United States was mostly purchased. In seventy five years, the United States continuously expanded westward, which was encouraged by the idea of Manifest Destiny. New land in the United States led to more economic, social, and political opportunities. Gaining more land also led to disputes between the states and wars with other countries.

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Part one allows John Grady Cole to act as the often romanticized western hero incomplete in a constrained life off the open fields without horses. Part two continues perpetuating the mythic West through John Grady Cole’s ability to demonstrate his heroic skills of horse training, as the work’s true western hero. Part three’s introduction to blatant violence with Blevins’ death finally breaks the myth of the perfect west for John Grady Cole, introducing him to the inevitability of violence accompanying the western hero. Finally, part four demonstrates John Grady Cole’s rugged individualism as the western hero, estranged from his friends and family despite trying to reconcile the old aspects of his life in Texas. John Grady Cole’s evolution ultimately demonstrates the collapse of the frontier hypothesis at large, questioning if the notion of the frontier as central to American identity can take root in a modernized America.

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The period after the civil war saw the United States of America economy transform to become a national economy and an industrial giant. The already existing industries quickly expanded and new ones emerged including steel manufacturing, electrical power, and petroleum refining. This period saw the rapid expansion of the railroad network which would subsequently connect even the remote parts of the country into the national economic grid essentially transforming the regional markets into a national economy. Following the economic expansion, the American society was greatly transformed creating a new crop of wealthy individuals and a dynamic middle class. Additionally, there was a vast expansion of blue collar job opportunities which quickly

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This expansion would not only demonstrate the ability that the United States had to control North America but also lead to a defining event in United States history, the Civil War. The westward expansion between the years 1789 and 1815 was some of the most influential expansion in American History because of what can be considered an identity crisis the United States was going through as such a young country. The expansion into these areas shed light onto the issues being faced by the people and states of the United States as they continued grow and define themselves. The impact would define a country set the United States on the path to become the world power it is

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During the “Gilded Age” period of American history, development of the Trans-Mississippi west was crucial to fulfilling the American dream of manifest destiny and creating an identity which was distinctly American. Since the west is often associated with rugged pioneers and frontiersmen, there is an overarching idea of hardy American individualism. However, although these settlers were brave and helped to make America into what it is today, they heavily relied on federal support. It would not have been possible for white Americans to settle the Trans-Mississippi west without the US government removing Native Americans from their lands and placing them on reservations, offering land grants and incentives for people to move out west, and the

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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?

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Manifest Destiny and the Westward Expansion was made so that the Americans could expand as far as the Pacific Ocean. All though this was a benefit for the Americans, it caused the Native Americans and the Mexicans to deal with a lot of hardship. There were many political, economic, and social reasons for Manifest Destiny, but these reasons did not always have positive outcomes. The Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny negatively impacted the economic vision of America.

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During the pre-civil war time period— also known as the antebellum years— America experienced a widespread transformation for the sake of its economy. With the booming belief of the Manifest Destiny, America’s constant desire for westward expansion caused disputes between the North and the South regarding the establishment of free states and slave states, which led to certain compromises such as the Missouri Compromise. After the Market Revolution, the North and South used its new gained land to create different means of economic gains; the North became industrialized through manufacturing, while the South became an agricultural industry dependent on cotton. However, as America’s boundaries expanded, tensions between the North and South grew, often leading to compromises in bloodshed. The drastic differences between the two groups eventually transformed America into a divided nation of sectionalism economically, politically, and socially.

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In conclusion, the westward expansion was one of the most important times in American history but one of the hardest for those who made the journey. The settlers had to go through a lot of hardships to get a new life in the west. The Gold Rush helped bring people to the west and populate California so it became a state. People such as Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark helped explore the new terrain and make maps so people could live there. Even though the pioneers got diseases, had conflicts with the Native Americans, and had to travel for long periods of time in a ship or covered wagon, they never gave up hope.

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Life for the Native Americans was much harder during and after the western expansion. For example, the US took land from the Indians leading the formation of reservations, White men almost hunted the Buffalo , an important food source for the Indians, to extinction, and forced the Indians to get rid of their culture. Because of the western expansion, the area of land the Indians could occupy decreased significantly. The government would make treaties with the Indians allowing them to keep a certain area of land, but this would soon be broken ; When the Pacific Railroad Act was passed it stated that wherever a track was laid the company would own any land 200 ft surrounding the track including Indian land ; the Government would make sure that

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The frontier is the raw uncharted and undeveloped land in America. When America was founded individuals claimed land. Some argue that the frontier impacted the American identity such as De Crevecoeur, Quinney, and Turner. J. Hector ST. John De Crevecoeur was an author who wrote the Farmer Letters.

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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.

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Perhaps the most significant myth in American culture is that of the American frontier generated by the European encounters with the American West. The most noticeable part of the frontier myth is the mythic struggle between modern civilization and wilderness. Frontier is defined as “the meeting point between savagery and civilization”. Turner believes that the American frontier is closely related to American civilization and that frontier

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