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Positive And Negative Effects Of Westward Expansion

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The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 was the catalyst of a surge of migration to the West, which was sustained by the Homestead Act in 1867, the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and the discovery of gold in Colorado and California. Westward Expansion was a period of wealth and prosperity, and many businesses bloomed and thrived as a result of abundant natural resources garnered from the fertile, untamed land. And yet, this prosperity developed at no small expense, and the repercussions of Westward Expansion cost millions of individuals their lives. However, although Westward Expansion damaged relationships between groups that would take centuries to repair, it also created opportunities for amelioration in women’s suffrage. Both the positive and negative aspects of Westward Expansion built the foundation of modern American Civilization. The Transcontinental railroad and industries which accompanied it proved to be a great investment, as it created millions of jobs and general economic advancement. Many innovations …show more content…

Upon first arriving, many settlers were astounded by the sheer number of wild bison which roamed the plains. Buffalo hides were valued and in high demand, and were hunted and often shot for sport, with little regard for replenishing the natural resources. After 10 years of indiscriminate annihilation of the bison, only 89 of 85 million remained. Nomadic Native Americans whose entire lives depended on hunting buffalo abruptly found themselves barely able to provide for themselves, and forced to comply with the federal government. Additionally, all of the Native’s sacred tribal land and hunting grounds were seized by settlers under the Homestead Act, and were forced onto reservations. Tensions between settlers and Natives increased, culminating in violence and bloodshed, such as the Sand Creek Massacre, when 70-163 Native Americans were mutilated and

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Grade 5, Unit 2: Cornerstone 2 Westward Expansion Database Articles Database Articles • Pioneer Women - http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/pioneer-womanx2019s-life-200-years-ago Note: you will have to log into the databases below using a DC Public Library Card or DC One Card. After logging in, click on the link again to get to the appropriate article. • Black Cowboys - http://www.worldbookonline.com.dclibrary.idm.oclc.org/student/article?id=ar753924&st=exodusters#tab=homepage • Manifest Destiny - http://school.eb.com.dclibrary.idm.oclc.org/levels/elementary/article/353420 • Oregon Trail - http://school.eb.com.dclibrary.idm.oclc.org/levels/elementary/article/353574 • Oregon Trail - http://www.worldbookonline.com.dclibrary.idm.oclc.org/kids/home#article/ar831676

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The westward expansion worked to the disadvantage of the Indians, while by rights Cherokee owned their land, meaning they were an independent nation from the state, this arrangement wasn’t respected by the state of Georgia, the state used the law to their advantage trying to took and control their land, they claimed since they were living in American ground their independence didn’t excluded them of the obligation to help the country, in this case giving, exchanging or/and selling their lands, the state as a respond to their negative the state wrote the Indian Removal Act of 1830 where as a result of their lands being in the state the Cherokee had to follow, in this act it was stated that “ … the President to exchange any or all of such districts,

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390 Words | 2 Pages

Westward expansion was in many ways by the federal government in the 1800s. This extension of the United States had a big influence on the country. Westward expansion brought railroads, new cities, gold mines, new farmland, more resources, and much more. Expansion of the country came with a lot of positives and also some negatives. From 1805 to 1900 the population of the natives went from 15,000 according to document 1 the non- Native Americans went from zero to 95,000.

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938 Words | 4 Pages

Manifest Destiny brought an age of expansion and exploration upon the United States throughout the 1800s. The vast Great Plains were unexplored, and held lots of promise and opportunity for new communities and businesses. With the establishment of the railroad system, transportation became much more reliable and efficient, sending a wave of settlers to the West. Railroad companies also posted many advertisements that encouraged settlers to buy plots of land for reasonable prices. The railroad during this time played a key role in Western Expansion by giving people access to fertile and open land, uniting communities together, and lowering transportation costs, but inflicted cruel treatment on those who worked on the railroads.

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394 Words | 2 Pages

Before the 1860’s the native americans were living in peace until the Colonists attacked. The Western Expansion of 1860-90 greatly affected the lives of Native Americans, due to the powerful role

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Many Americans were influenced by the Homestead Act which gave them 160 Acres of land as long as they maintained the land for 5 years. Eventually, the Native Americans no longer had somewhere to go. They decided to sign a treaty with the Americans which granted them a small reservation in which no American would cross and a promise that supplies would be sent. However, the supplies never came and Americans continued to cross into the reservation. The Native Americans wanted to fight back but they were powerless against the American’s

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Buffaloes and trees were killed and nature in the West Coast was not at all preserved. Frank H. Mayer, a buffalo hunter in the late 1800s, proclaimed, "A couple years before, it was nothing to see 5,000, 10,000 [buffaloes] in a day's ride. Now, if I saw 50, I was lucky. Presently all I saw was rotting red carcasses or bleaching white bones, we had killed the golden goose,"(Source 2, Document F) Mayer clearly expresses that every day, less buffalo were alive. They were being killed with every passing day and as a result, conflicts with Native Americas arose.

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From sea to shining sea. That line from “America the Beautiful” defines the goal of the United States in the 1840’s. But why was this the goal? What caused this drive for expansion? During the mid-19th century, Americans set their sights of land west of the Louisiana Purchase.

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One example of this is when many Americans went to settle in Pikes Peak Colorado due to the gold found there. This resulted in the Americans taking over Indian settlements which lead to the Indians retaliating and raiding their settlements from 1861 to 1864. Due to this on November 29, 1864 the Americans massacred approximately 400 Cheyenne Indians even after the Indians offered peace. (George

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303 Words | 2 Pages

The Civil War was the result of the built up conflict in the nation, the nation was first assembled under a unified ideal, that every US citizen has the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our nation's westward expansion took place in 1787 to 1861. The westward expansion led to economic, cultural and political differences from the North, South and West that would later divide the nation. An economy defines how a region of land prospers as one and grows. The people in the North and South had a different way of using their resources and people.

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Throughout history there have been many wars, most of which, in some way or another, have had to do with expansion and the gain of land or territory. During the era of Manifest Destiny there were many reasons for expansion such as; better agricultural resources and other events that erupted exploitation and manipulation of the Indians and indigenous people. These show how the Manifest Destiny era expansions were similar to many other expansions before and after this era, however, the biggest difference is how, before, they would purchase land or legally obtain it, when after, the United States would go to war over land rather than legally buy it. Before Manifest Destiny, during colonial days, Britain established the Proclamation of 1763,

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547 Words | 3 Pages

America has come a long way and one thing we will never forget is the history. Two major events in developing America and the British North American colonies between 1607 and 1877 is westward expansion and he North-South division. The North-South division was the split between the Union States and the Confederate states because of their very opposite beliefs. The most well-known event of this division was the American Civil War between these two sides of early America. Westward expansion was the period when millions of people continued to migrate into the western parts of America.

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530 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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703 Words | 3 Pages

The Westward Expansion all started when America made the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. There were many benefits from the purchase for the US that the French didn’t realize before they sold it. The purchase gave the US access to the Mississippi river which allowed for expansion of river trade to the North and South from the center of the US. The port city of New Orleans was bought by the US and its prosperity benefited the US greatly. The US sent Lewis and Clark west to investigate the land they purchased.

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1312 Words | 6 Pages

Characteristically, the settlement of American land was established almost exclusively by men, especially those of European decent. Therefore, after the Louisiana purchase -- and the consequential doubling in size of the continental United States -- the western half of the country begged to be explored and settled, a job that many believed lay in the hands of the white man. Despite the “White Man’s West” that lay readily ahead of them, many potential settlers were hesitant to travel to the newly claimed land. It wasn’t until the combination of both the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the Homestead Act of 1862, alongside the construction of complex railway systems, that a mass migration from the east coast began to occur; unsurprisingly, the majority of the demographic were indeed male. Throughout several years of work in rudimentary frontier towns and countless attempts to modernize the vast expanse of land the settlers had received, the living conditions of the Wild West remained harsh, any endeavor to provide comfort collapsed, and frankly the men west of the Mississippi River became desperate for the presence and attention of their female

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