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Westward Expansion Essay

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Jimmy Waw Mr. Mancha September 26, 2017 Essay I will describe to you three federal land grants that were instrumental in opening westward expansion in the United States. These three include the Transcontinental Railroad, Homestead Act, and the Morrill Act. The transcontinental railroad is a train route across the United States that was completed in the year 1869. This was a project of two railroad companies called the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific. The union was built from the east and the central was built from the west until the two lines met in Utah. The Homestead Act provided settlers with 160 acres of public land to encourage western migration. That sounded amazing back then but everything comes with a cost, they had to complete …show more content…

The railroad was built crossing the western half of America which opened up a father route during 1863 to 1869. It was 1,776 miles long and served for the Atlantic and Pacific coast for the United States including the two railroad companies as well. In less than a century, the expansion has the stretched the U.S. from a lot of states along the eastern seaboard until they reached the pacific. Don't forget that this railroad took six years to build and was entirely made with the workers bare hands. The two railroad companies supported the westward expansion by issuing U.S. government bonds. Roads, canals, and steamships made it a lot easier to transport goods mainly because the cost was extremely low and it was faster. The Golden Spike driven by governor Stanford that symbolized the accomplishment of the transcontinental …show more content…

This helped people without jobs like slaves, be hard workers and benefit for their families. This law was signed by none other than Abraham Lincoln on July 2, 1862. These colleges were for farmers that wanted to know more about Agriculture and Mechanical Arts could do that in 1862. This is when the independence in America blossomed into what it is today. These colleges took up to 17,400,000 acres of land, which cost around 7.55 million in 1862. The morrill act was resourceful to the westward expansion because it brought people from around the world seeking knowledge and a better lifestyle or looking to start over in life. The act was a sign of hope to people in America and that same hope is what drives people to America in the

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After America had obtained the west, the need for a better transportation heightened. Many ideas were proposed to get from the east to the west shores, but the railroad was the best choice. The Republican Congress convened and ruled that federal funding on the railroad construction. The congress voted for the funding, but it was halted because of a war. The American Civil War of 1861 to 1865, the race to build the railroad began in 1866.

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With more railroads being built, it helped to establish the United States, and industries in the West used the railroads to connect industry to retail markets in Eastern United States. Without railroads, it would have been hard for the Western States to expand.

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It began the task of constructing a transcontinental railroad that would link the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast. "In the meantime, construction of several important railroads is being carried forward with energy. " People would not have to travel months in long wagon trains on a trip to the west. The transcontinental railroad was a significant development and it improved transportation, people could travel in a faster, safer, and cheaper way by train. Mail, supplies, trade goods, and other additional things could be shipped across the country and arrive in just a few days.

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Transcontinental Railroad Tera Richardson, 4336787 History 102 B008 Sum 17 Professor Traci Sumner American Military University July 22, 2017 Abstract The transcontinental railroad was one of the biggest advocates for the industrial economy and westward expansion. The railroads could transfer goods and people across the country with ease, and quickly. While some bad came from this miraculous progression, such as the panic of 1873 and a yellow fever epidemic, the good outweighed the bad as it enabled the United States to fulfill its Manifest Destiny through westward expansion.

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1. Railroad expansion provided new avenues of migration into the American interior. 2. Congress passed the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862. It gave the state governments millions of acres of western lands, which the states could then sell to raise money for the creation of "land grant" colleges specializing in agriculture and mechanical arts.

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The United States came very far in this time period by constructing the first Transcontinental railroad, the first incandescent light bulb, and the first subway station in North America. The First Transcontinental Railroad was built in 1869 and stretched from Sacramento, California to Council Bluffs, Iowa where other railroads met to bring travelers to the east. This was the first railroad to stretch across the whole country and it opened up the United States to a lot of trade and traveling. Previously going across the continent would have taken months, but with the railroad it now only took weeks. This would have been very useful to explorers like Lewis and Clark who traveled to the new western territories.

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Marshall Lasater Mr. L Military History P6 1/27/23 Transcontinental Railroad Imagine a railroad that stretches across half of the nation. The Transcontinental Railroad was an immensely important development in American history. It connected the east and west coasts of the United States, allowing for faster transportation of goods and people across the country. The railroad also opened up new economic opportunities for businesses that could now easily move their products to far-away markets, leading to a period of unprecedented industrial growth in America during this time.

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Completed in 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad opened new doors for the United States. In order for this to happen though, some had to be closed. Our country was in desperate need on some of these changes, but some we could have lived without. This great connection of the coasts brought with it many positive and negative effects on the Native Americans, society, and the environment.

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According to Jefferson expansion was the key to america's health as his vision was that a republic depends on “an independent, virtuous citizenry for its survival”. One example of westward expansion was the Alamo. During the conflict at the Alamo, the Texans were attempting to gain independence from Mexico. Another example of Westward expansion was The Oregon Trail. Americans were naturally curious about the land west of them after receiving letters from the emigrants describing “really great land”.

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It gave them new opportunities to many impoverished farmers from the East and Mid West. “The Homestead Act remained in effect for more than 100 years. The final claim, for 80 acres in southeastern Alaska, was approved in 1988”. Meaning that it’s the one that has the right to be called most Effective. Also saying that the Transcontinental railroad wasn 't a reason why there was Westward Expansions.

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The Transcontinental Railroad The completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad was an important event in the United States history. There were many challenges in building it, but after it was finished, it connected the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast. The railroad took three whole years to build, with the help of two railroad companies and thousands of other hired workers.

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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.

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The information you showcase regarding the United States’ movement westward is very intuitive. Additionally, the information you showcase about the massacre of the Native American people during westward expansion is something that people often avoid discussing. Furthermore, the information regarding the governments’ incentive packages for moving west highlights how desperate the United States is to settle the new land. Now, consider that the military massacred hundreds of Native Americans, do you believe that those men should have stood trial for war crimes? Also, do you believe the government’s incentive packages are a contributing factor to settler’s clashes with Native Americans?

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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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That is just one of many reasons there was Westward Expansion. Overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities. These are three of many reasons why Americans in the 1800’s felt urged to move west. Some may claim that Westward expansion was not right for America to do because of the conflicts that were aroused afterward.

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