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Positive Effects Of Westward Expansion

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David Moline Mr. VanRuyven Social Science 27 April 2023 Westward Expansion “Manifest Destiny is the idea that the United States is destined—by God, its advocates believed—to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent.”(History, 1). This belief that America was destined by God means they could do no wrong. This caused westward expansion in America to be a time of war, struggle, death and new opportunity. Although this was a violent time it also allowed for positive change; opportunity for money, a new life, and a chance to build a legacy from nothing. Another effect of Westward Expansion was an increasing tension between the North and South over slavery leading to the most deadly American …show more content…

Most tribes tried peaceful solutions with America but almost all of them failed. When Native Americans tried to fight back they stood no chance and were then forced to move by indian removal acts. The Indian removal acts were pushed the most by President Andrew Jackson. He believed they were a waste of space and the land should instead be used as cotton farms. The trails they would take from their native lands to lands that were reserved as Indian territory. The trails they took to their lands were usually long and dangerous, for example the trail of tears. “Thousands of people died along the way.” And it was referred to by the native’s as “a trail of tears and death”(History House, 4). They were even at times forced to walk in shackles through harsh weather with no support by the American Government. They were forced to find food in a place that they had never seen before. This shows the disrespect shown towards the Indians. Still today Native Americans have not recovered from the damage the early americans did and some are now …show more content…

Immigration to the west was hard work filled with troubles and opportunities. Moving thousands of miles across North America was the lives of many Americans of this time. Driven by the promised opportunities, and land grants young families had to embark on a journey. On this journey they were tasked to create a town for their children and the following generations. This was back breaking work that caused changes in gender roles. This is because when times get tough and it’s life or death women have to do a work that is usually only designated for a man. If they can’t find work or if they can’t make the first harvest there would be nothing for the next generations to inherit. “They had to be willing to do the backbreaking work required to turn a wilderness into prosperous farms and towns – but had their ancestors not done that as well”(National Geographic, 3) The comfort that their ancestors did the same work and the promised reward gave them the courage to take these risks. This caused women to get close to having the same jobs as a man. Proving that they could do things just as well as a man this was the precursor to women’s rights and something for civil rights movements to point

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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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Before any calls were made , a few tribes went peacefully , but many resisted this relocation policy. Andrew Jackson was a flagrant man. A lot of the Indians felt as though they were being treated with injustice and it was just plain

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The United States is always in an ever changing state. This is especially true during the westward expansion that followed the Civil War and the ever expanding American Industrial Revolution. There are three major events that occurred in the late 19th century that set the precedence for the westward expansion of America. With American still in a new born state, there was many great accomplishments and many failures. I am going to breakdown the westward expansion during 1860-1890 after analyzing the Westward Expansion map from PBS Learning Media website, to assess how the westward expansion moved between the 1860’s and 1890’s (Westward Expansion, 1860-1890, n.d.).

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After the Civil War, the United States began to expand Westward. Much of this expansion was due to the transportation revolution. Railroads were spreading; roads, canals, and steamboats were improving. Allowing for more ways to travel West. As the country entered the Industrial Revolution, not only were people migrating within the country but immigrants began to emigrate to America.

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Grasso 1 Michael Grasso Ms. Vargas 20TH US HI. 21 September 2014 Westward Expansion in the 1800s After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which was the United States buying the huge territory known as Louisiana from the French, the country doubled in size. This gave the country great opportunity due to the abundance of land and natural resources. Some citizens believed in manifest destiny which is the belief that the American settlers were destined to expand as a country throughout the continent. In the 1860s when the Civil War was coming to an end the west was still greatly undeveloped and rural.

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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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The Cherokee tribe specifically was one of the most defiant groups of the Removal Act. One of the most notable forms of protests that the Cherokee did was contacting the United States Congress. These actions eventually led to the Cherokee Removal Act. Officials realized that the Indian Removal Act failed to control the Cherokee, so some states extended jurisdiction into the Cherokee nations to force them out. By having this power, states like Georgia were able to sell the Cherokees land while they were still living there.

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Indians were being surrounded a whole nation and not willing to give up their life style and costumes, relocation was best option in order to stay alive and take care of their culture. During the late 1820s a number of small “civilized tribes” had become a part of American society; some have moved into cabins, houses, and even mansions. After the Indian Removal Act of 1830, there was great unpleasant experience among the Indians who decided to remain on the natural land and way of life. Some of the Indians rejected the money given by Americans for their land. They stated that too much of their land had been taken already in the past 20 years and would defend and die for the land if it was necessary.

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The westward expansion was impacted by three main things and that is social, political, and economic. The westward expansion was impacted on a social scales with the tension between the Native Americans and the U.S., also during the journey to the west many people died. On a political scale the westward expansion was affected by the many wars and treaties that has to happen in order for the U.S. to gain the land, which then allows us to expand to the west. The westward expansion was effected by the economy because of the many technology that was created like trains, also because of the westward expansion there was an increase in business and industry's triumphed and since businesses grew there were many job opportunities which inclined people

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Throughout the 19th century European settlers in the United States were enthralled by Westward expansion, furthermore, defining the Western region of the country as the ‘frontier’ to represent the challenges and opportunities expanding West would institute. Westward expansion was significantly driven by the concept of Manifest destiny which describes the idea that Europeans have the divine power and inherent right to expand across North America (Burton, January 17th, 2023). Westward expansion was legally encouraged and endorsed by the federal government through the Homestead act of 1862. The Homestead Act encouraged Westward migration/ settlement by offering land grants to settlers from the East willing to migrate to the West to develop the land.

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People were drawn to the West because it was scene as the last resort to make a living when all else failed in the East. Communication with friends and family who had moved west led these pioneers to believe the journey would be easy and the reward for getting west would be best. And the greatly available land was the strongest pulling factor to people interested in adventuring west. Migration was a personal choice that depended on several key factors, “Age of the head of household; economic status; personal attitudes; and projected costs and benefits of the resettlement.” Most historians agree that the majority of the people who migrated west were middle class and mostly immigrants to the US.

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Slavery was introduced to the newly gained areas, helping to further the national expansion and Manifest Destiny ideology. The conflict was a tremendous embarrassment for Mexico and left a profound scar on the relationship between the United States and Mexico, significantly influencing both nations. As a watershed moment in American history, the conflict continues to have repercussions even

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Despite their contributions to American society, they were seen as an obstacle to the American dream of manifest destiny (Bertolet). The Trail of Tears resulted in a huge loss for the Cherokee. Their removal from their homeland caused immense suffering, since they were forced to leave their whole lives behind. The journey was long and tough, and many tribe members died to starvation, exposure to new elements, and disease. It is believed that between 2,000 and 8,000 Cherokee died during the journey (Bertolet).

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Soon, more and more Native American tribes, like the Cherokee and Seminole, were also forcefully eliminated from their homes, along with many others. This expulsion of Native American tribes by the American travelers and settlers came to be known as the infamous Trail of

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In 1830, Andrew Jackson signed what was known as the “Removal Act”. This Removal act authorized the president to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. Few tribe move peacefully. If an Indian tribe would not go willingly, the U.S. army would come and force them. Even then some tribe would still resist and to the sad end they were crushed.

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