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Westward Expansion In Thomas Jefferson's America

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History has been distorted and shifted through limited point of views. History is made up of more than just the famous. Common people make up the biggest part of history, rarely is their side of the story heard. According to the central ideas of the texts, Thomas Jefferson’s America 1801 by Stephen Ambrose, American Progress by John Gast, and Chief Joseph Speaks by Chief Joseph, the claim that there is no true history of westward expansion is supported. Thomas Jefferson’s America, 1801 by Stephen Ambrose supports the claim that there is no true history of westward expansion. The source shows westward expansion through Jefferson’s eyes. Stephen Ambrose was very partial to Jefferson, “ In an age of imperialism, he was the greatest empire builder of all.”. Ambrose only supported Jefferson’s views, he never mentioned how westward expansion was affecting the people being forced off their land. Thomas Jefferson was a famous person, his views trumped those of less importance. American Progress by John Gast also gave evidence of the different point of views of westward expansion. On the left side of the painting Indians, buffalo, wagons, and settlers are …show more content…

Chief Joseph represents the views of the Indian people who are being forced off their land. The Indians point of view is much different from the American government and people. The Indians wanted peace and to remain on their land. “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more against the white man.” While the American people felt it was their destiny to expand and progress forward they were crushing the people who had lived on the land. Throughout history it is hardly ever mentioned how ethically wrong Americans treated the Indian people. The Text Chief Joseph Speaks shares the point of view of westward expansion for the Indians. History is contradicted between the famous and the common

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Native Americans who emigrated from Europe perceived the Indians as a friendly society with whom they dwelt with in harmony. While Native Americans were largely intensive agriculturalists and entrepreneurial in nature, the Indians were hunters and gatherers who earned a livelihood predominantly as nomads. By the 19th century, irrefutable territories i.e. the areas around River Mississippi were under exclusive occupation by the Indians. At the time, different Indian tribes such as the Chickasaws, Creeks, and Cherokees had adapted a sedentary lifestyle and practiced small-scale agriculture. According to the proponents of removal, the Indians were to move westwards into forested lands in order to generate additional space for development through agricultural production (Memorial of the Cherokee Indians).

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Thomas Jefferson viewed western expansion as an opportunity to open trade with Indians of the west and find a water route to the Pacific ocean. Jefferson was fascinated with the discovery of the west and wanted to map out the new acquired territory before any European nation could claim it as their own. Not only was Jefferson interested in the territory, he wanted to build relations with the Indian tribes of the west and help them develop their agricultural methods and way of life. He sought to expand America to the west as a way to benefit both the Americans and the Native Americans. Jefferson wanted to learn from the Natives of the west, as well as influencing their way of living in efforts to build a working relationship between the

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James K. Polk and the Expansionist Impulse by Sam W. Haynes Haynes’ biography of James K. Polk is a little bit different from the traditional biographical book with enumeration of important dates from life of historical figure. Instead the author takes different approach: while recounting development of Polk’s career, he looks at the Polk’s presidency through the lens of expansionism. Though he frames the 11th President as a strong adherent of aggressive territorial expansionism, Haynes also emphasises that Polk’s decisions cannot be separated from the political and social climate of his time. The author renders Polk from one side as the initiator of expansionists political moves, and from the other, as a product of contemporary social beliefs,

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The Westward Expansion consisted of almost 7 million Americans migrating west, hoping to get land and be wealthy. It is often called Manifest Destiny, because many people believed settlers was intended to expand the west. Because so many people thought this way it was also thought the U.S was physically separated from Europe. This migration of people included people from Spain, France, Mexico, and other countries. The Western Expansion had a part in the foreign policies in the expansion towards the pacific and the way the U.S treated their relationship with other

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The period after the civil war saw the United States of America economy transform to become a national economy and an industrial giant. The already existing industries quickly expanded and new ones emerged including steel manufacturing, electrical power, and petroleum refining. This period saw the rapid expansion of the railroad network which would subsequently connect even the remote parts of the country into the national economic grid essentially transforming the regional markets into a national economy. Following the economic expansion, the American society was greatly transformed creating a new crop of wealthy individuals and a dynamic middle class. Additionally, there was a vast expansion of blue collar job opportunities which quickly

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Thomas Jefferson had many important roles in his lifetime. He was a public official, historian, and a philosopher. He was also one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence and became the third President of the United States. He was in service to the country for over five decades. He inherited some slaves from his father and father-in-law.

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This expansion would not only demonstrate the ability that the United States had to control North America but also lead to a defining event in United States history, the Civil War. The westward expansion between the years 1789 and 1815 was some of the most influential expansion in American History because of what can be considered an identity crisis the United States was going through as such a young country. The expansion into these areas shed light onto the issues being faced by the people and states of the United States as they continued grow and define themselves. The impact would define a country set the United States on the path to become the world power it is

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The painting “American Progress,” shows indians leaving their land and settlers behind them who seem to be pushing the indians away. There is also a woman with wings holding wire that is connected to power poles. She can be seen as a symbol of westward expansion because she is bringing power towards the west. The illustrator seems to be supportive of expansion, and believes the americans wanted to obtain all the land they could. The

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In the late 1800’s America started to expand across the world. America went to areas like Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines. The U.S. wanted to expand and tried to annex many countries. Many people wonder if the American expansion was justifiable or not. Alaska, a piece of land bought by the U.S. was called “Seward’s Folly” because when William Seward bought it America thought that there was nothing there.

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From the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to the time of the Gadsden Purchase, westward expansion was a fuel to the issue of slavery extension to the West, causing sectionalism to increase between the North and South. Although westward expansion was one of the factors that accelerated sectionalism between the North and the South, other factors such as the imbalance between the states, the gag rule, the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Compromise of 1850, the tariff of Abomination, popular sovereignty, and many more played their roles in the sectionalism between the North and the South. The more the United States grew and expanded westward, more factors appeared to hinder the growth of slavery, causing the South to threaten to secede from the Union due to their pro-slavery views. Westward expansion was one of the ideas that was thought to bring economic boost, and the very first westward expansion was the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

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