Westward Expansion Flash Draft Have you ever wondered about what would 've happened if the westward expansion never occurred? We wouldn 't have many things you know today and America would be a lot smaller. The westward expansion happened during the 1800s and helped shape the modern America. The westward expansion started with the Louisiana Purchase and was made even stronger by the Gold Rush. Many people came to strike it rich or just to start a new life out west. Even though it was before computers and phones, the information spread quickly across the country and started what is called Manifest Destiny. This will tell you about some of the important parts of the westward expansion. Gold Rush: The gold rush started in January 1848 in the city of Coloma California when a man named James Wilson Marshall found gold flakes in the American River at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. When he found the gold, he was working to build a water-powered sawmill owned by John Sutter. They tried not to tell anybody but word got out very quickly. In December 1848, President James Polk announced during a speech that there was more gold in California than people had previously thought. Miners came by the thousands across land, and sea to find the gold and the journeys that …show more content…
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. Without the brave pioneers, the United States would be a much different place