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Louis And Clark Westward Expansion Essay

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Westward Expansion

The Louis and Clark expedition best represents the start to Westward expansion following the end of the American Revolution in 1783. The Westward expansion began when Thomas Jefferson strived for expansion in order to form trade routes from the Atlantic to Pacific. The expedition of Louis and Clark took a total of 2 years and 4 months, covering 8,000 miles. They traveled the Missouri and Columbia river until they reached their destination. The long time period of travel had a tremendous effect on American history and society. In Captain Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition, they successfully made it across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, opening the previously occupied western region for trade routes. Their unforgettable adventure led to the first reports of the American West. Over the course of the exhibition Lewis and Clark interacted with almost 50 different tribes. The trail of tears, fewer than 10 tribes were interacted with and they were just forced to move. While exploring the land …show more content…

It kindled westward expansion, started the disposition of American Indians and changed nature. It was more than removal of Indians, but becoming familiar with this new purchase of land. It was a turning point from the “Euro-American” perspective. Previous to the Exhibition the united states was only 17 states and 4 territories. During the adventure Clark drew maps of the west and Lewis recorded details about mammals and plants they encountered. Both kept a sort of diaries or written journals including the Indian encounters. The exhibition gained knowledge of western geography and the Native people. This knowledge fueled the American Fur trade and encouraged mountain men to make discoveries and inspired the Government to explore more in the west. As more exploration occurred, the more appealing settling in the West

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