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Essay On Western Expansion

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During Western Expansion in the United States, it affected many different groups of people. Motivated by the idea of Manifest Destiny, the belief that the expansion of the US through the American continents was justified and bound to happen, they all moved west in the hope of riches and other opportunities. However, these groups, especially the Native Americans, American workers, and immigrants, instead faced many challenges that contradicted the founding ideals of the US: liberty, equality, rights, democracy, and opportunity. To begin with, the Native Americans had their liberty, equality, rights, and opportunities taken away. As the Americans moved westward, they overtook the Native Americans’ land and forced them out “to confine most western tribes to reservations” (Indian Wars Shatter Tribal Cultures). Despite signed treaties and that the land originally belonged to the Native Americans, they were still robbed of their rights that they believed they had to the land ,and the opportunities of owning the land. Not only did they steal the land, but they stripped the Native Americans of …show more content…

Even though slaves were now freed, “African Americans in the West still faced racism” (Settling the Great Plains). Despite being declared free, their equality was still taken from them. By being discriminated against, the African Americans lost opportunities for jobs and to earn money. However, not only the African Americans, but white people suffered also. Those who moved to urban areas from their agricultural jobs left to find job opportunities with high wages. Instead, they experienced poor living conditions, including “[d]rinking water [that] was taken from pumps on the street and was often polluted” which led to deadly diseases. Deprived of their right to basic needs, they could not properly function and live. Disappointedly, city life was more difficult than their old country

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Western Expansion Western expansion is the populating of the western part of the United States. This event took place in the mid 1800s to the early 1900s, and it was the western area of the United states expanding to the pacific area of America. This event took place in result of the Manifest destiny, gold rush of 1849, the homestead act, and railroads.

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From 1860 to 1890 the United States was changed forever by western expansion. Prior to the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869 there were only three major cities in the west; St. Louis, MO, New Orleans, LA, and Chicago, IL (Westward Expansion 1) This limited the American economy to a finite number of distribution and shipping options. This all changed though with the east and west coasts being connected by rail. While Chicago, IL gets most of the historical credit for being a critical city in the growth westward, the true underdog is Denver, CO.

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The western expansion had a large impact on the United States. Although it had a positive impact on the country as they gained an economic growth, it had a negative impact on the Native Americans who had experienced a decrease in population. Western expansion began in 1803 with Thomas Jefferson purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million as the U.S. population increased drastically. “...from around 5 million people in 1800 to more than 23 million by 1850,” (History.com) According to History.com, the purchase of Louisiana Territory gave them another 828,000 square miles, which stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.

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Indigenous people were lied to constantly, given false promises, and false hope. Document 3 emphasizes this, Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce, mentioning how “Good words do not last long,” and ,”Nothing is done.” The perspective of this document is significant considering how a chief of an Indigenous tribe speaks up about the injustice done to his people and dozens of other tribes as well. Native Americans were taken advantage of during westward expansion, their land forcefully taken from them and are treated inhumanely. Westward expansion caused for unjust treatment towards Indigenous people, they were given false hope of a country that would be better, however, their homes and people were taken away.

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First of all, Native Americans were settled on a hotbed of natural resources which included oil and precious metals such as silver and gold. There was also much fertile land that would entice farmers and frontiersmen to move out west. On this land there was so much potential economic opportunity for farmers, cattle drivers, miners and many other occupations. The government developed the popular public misconception that the indians were misusing the land and that Americans had the right to take advantage of the opportunities that lie in the west. These ideas led to the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 which authorized encroachment of Indian lands by the US government in order to divide up reservations and control Indian activity.

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Native Americans flourished in North America, but over time white settlers came and started invading their territory. Native Americans were constantly being thrown and pushed off their land. Sorrowfully this continued as the Americans looked for new opportunities and land in the West. When the whites came to the west, it changed the Native American’s lives forever. The Native Americans had to adapt to the whites, which was difficult for them.

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If Native Americans were not compliant, Americans would murder them. Although Manifest Destiny was seen as an inevitable movement among Americans and resulted in the formation of the American West in the Nineteenth century, it was truthfully an act of invasion and subjugation against peoples who had settled the land for hundreds of years earlier. Manifest Destiny led to an obvious upsurge in racial

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