What Is The Theme Of Westward Expansion By Robert Morgan

This nonfiction piece written by Robert Morgan, and explains westward expansion and other important historic events. This book also shares accurate accounts of multiple presidents and other important historical figures in ten very detailed chapters. These people include, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, John Chapman, David Crockett, Sam Houston, James K. Polk, Winfield Scott, Kit Carson, Nicholas Trist, and John Quincy Adams.
The first chapter is all about the life of Thomas Jefferson. You learn a lot about him and what his interests are. Some of these interests included, farming, chemistry, history, weather, soils, geology, and so much more. He was very well educated, quiet, and curious man that always wanted to gain more knowledge. Jefferson

Something I thought was interesting was how much Jefferson studied Native Americans and their culture. Something else I noticed while reading about Jefferson was that he was kind of a hypocrite. “Jefferson became the second-largest slaveholder in Virginia, even while having written that “the abolition of domestic slavery is the great object of desire in those colonies where it was unhappily introduced in their infant state” (Morgan 24). Jefferson apparently knew slavery was wrong, and instead of fixing it, he simply turned his head and focused on other things, such as westward expansion. I’m not sure if that makes him a hypocrite or a coward. In fact, Jefferson was so obsessed with westward expansion that he hired many explorers to go out and do it for him. Some of these explorers included John Ledyard and Andre Michaux. Both of these men hired by Jefferson let him down. Ledyard was arrested and then died, and Michaux joined the Citizen Genet scheme. Jefferson however ended up getting his wish when the Louisiana Purchase was made. One way to describe Jefferson was how he had “a firm belief in what might be called democratic imperialism”. He would finally get to find out about everything there was in the west. He sent out Lewis and Clark in 1803, and they were successful. Overall Jefferson was a great leader, although he ignored the slavery issue which progressively got worse in the future.

Some information about his early life s given, and then you learn his experience during the battle of Horseshoe Bend. While fighting, Houston was shot in the leg with an arrow, then continues to fight, and led an attack on a hideout. He was then was hit by two bullets in his shoulder. After being carried off the battlefield, he was operated on, and somehow survived. After the battle, Jackson gave credit to Houston and many others. Jackson and Houston became good friends. Sam Houston throughout his career developed a seros alcohol problem that would cause further problems in his future. Around 1817, Jackson askd Houston, since he was so close with his adoptive father Ooleteka and other Cherokee chiefs, if they could remove their people from western Arkansas Territory. Houston was successful with persuading them, and he also traveled to Washington to plead for better conditions for the moving Indians. Houston later became governor of Tennessee because of Jackson’s influence. Houston had marriage troubles with Eliza Allen, and then rumors of his alcoholism went around. Around 1829, Houston moved to Arkansa territory,married a Cherokee woman, and became involved in Cherokee politics.He ran for a seat in the Cherokee Tribal Council and when he lost the election for it, he confronted Ooleteka. When his adopted father told him his drunkenness was part of the problem, Houston struck him. This time period of Houston’s life was his all time