Westward Expansion Essay

Semester 1 Final Essay

The Civil War was a defining moment in American history that was rooted in the tension and conflict between the North and the South over issues of slavery and states' rights; brought to a boiling point by the expansion of the country's territorial borders and the belief in the idea of Manifest Destiny. Westward Expansion refers to the movement of European settlers and their descendants across the North American continent during the 19th century. Westward Expansion was driven by economic, political, and social factors, including the desire for new land, resources, and new opportunities. The impetus for Westward Expansion was the idea of Manifest Destiny, which held that it was the God-given right of the American people

Many factors incited the migration west. The Trappers, settlers, as well as miners started to head West from the eastern United States prior to the Civil War. The Homestead Act, which was eventually passed in 1862, permitted settlers to gain averment on 160 acres of land for free.(westward expansion) “Another important factor was the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869; the railroad led to much more rapid western migration and also facilitated economic development”(Westward Expansion: Encounters at a Cultural Crossroads) The Louisiana Purchase of 1803, in which the United States bought a large tract of land from France, was a major event that facilitated westward expansion. The purchase nearly doubled the size of the country and opened up vast new territories for settlement. Over time, tensions were brought to a boiling point by the expansion of the country's territorial borders and the belief in Manifest Destiny. The disagreement ultimately led to the formation of the Confederacy and the outbreak of the war. Economic, cultural, and political differences between the North and the South also played a role in the outbreak of the war. The North was industrialized and had a strong economy based on manufacturing and trade, while the South was agrarian and relied heavily on exports of cotton and other agricultural

Thousands of settlers used the trail to travel west in search of new land and opportunities. The crossing was not easy; only the most determined of settlers journeyed to make it. However, if the trail had not existed, most of the people who traveled west would not have even pondered making the trip at all. (oregon trail) “The trail was arduous and snaked through Missouri and present-day Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and finally into Oregon.” (Oregon Trail) Without the Oregon Trail and without the acquisition of the Oregon Donation Land Act in 1850, which stimulated settlement in the Oregon Territory, the pioneers of America would have been much slower to conquer the American West in the 19th century. (Oregon trail) The expansion into new territory ultimately led to people settling into different areas of America, many of whom had very different beliefs. The northerners and southerners from the two separate regions had different customs and traditions, and there were even schisms in their religious beliefs. These differences, in addition to the North being industrial and the South being agrarian, eventually led to tensions between the two regions and contributed to the growing divide that ultimately led to the outbreak of the civil