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What Role Did The Natural Environment Play In The Development Of The West Dbq

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From 1840 - 1890 the west became a target for United States expansionist campaigns. Motivated by the many job and life opportunities offered by this new land, people flocked by the droves to the West. Although ideological factors formed a small role in this trend, the natural resources, new technologies, and abundant land played the major roles in the development of the West beyond the Mississippi. For starters, the fertility and abundance of the West encouraged settlers into its land, and influenced the lives they led once they established there. The rich soil, pastures for grazing, and precious natural minerals led to the settlement of thousands of miners, ranchers, and farmers. The survival of these new migrants was dependent on the natural environment of the land. This heavily influenced their way of life. For instance, the frequent deserts between areas created an uneven population spread in the West (Document A). In areas with abundant natural resources and favorable conditions, large populations would be conglomerated, such as in the case of San Francisco (Document D). Such areas economically flourished, while the more desolate areas are comparatively underdeveloped to this day. …show more content…

For example, the fierce competition over land and resources among Caucasians led to the ignoring and further decimation of the Native Americans who had occupied the land for generations (Document H). The Cuacasions did not stop at taking the land, they completely altered it to fit their economic and ideological desires. This trend of Othering and villainizing the Native Americans as an excuse to rip away their land is an idea that continues into modern day, and has deeply influenced Western

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434 Words | 2 Pages

I think the biggest change in the west was the economically and the socially. At the time of the Civil War in Mississippi millions of fertile acres, that in this state had minerals, and herbs for buffalos that provide food, clothing and shelter for all the Indians the live there. Referring to the book “Give Me Liberty by Eric Foner in the Chapter 16 America’s Gilded Age”. The change starts when the white settlers move to Western region, after Western farmers from the Revolution time, they immigrate into Ohio, Indiana, and Illinoi, and it was an empty space. By the eighteen century in California the Indian the land that look like a paradise start changing to small little town creating railroads, mini companies in the West by the order of members

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Post Civil War and the Gilded Age Chonda Simon Columbia Southern University American History II Professor Anthony Gole June 28, 2017 The Dawes Act was the law passed by the Congress in 1887 aimed at dividing reservations and allotted pieces of land owned by individual Indians to foreign settlers. The government would confiscate private land and sell it to another person forcing the original owner of the land to look for alternative settlement area. Large groups of white settlers and US cavalry migrate towards the West in the 1800s. The groups fought Indian tribes forcing them to vacate their lands where they had lived for many years.

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Throughout the 1840’s and 1890’s the natural environment shaped the development of the West beyond the Mississippi like, where the best and worst settlement would be in the West, how there was a struggle for the expansion that the settlers of the West were pushing for and, how aspects like cattle and mining would influence the settlers. There were many environmental changes, as well as expansion in the West, and the increase in knowledge and development in industry, that were occurring, and causing the development of the West beyond the Mississippi to be impacted along with the lives of those who lived their.

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The major reasons for the United States to develop an empire in the 1800s were the closing of the American frontier, economics, religious and moral reasons, and geopolitics(Schultz,2014). The closing of the American frontier included acquiring new frontier from other countries. Americans believed that the “Wild West” frontier was so integral in shaping America, that we might require a new frontier in order to ensure the survival of its democracy. Economic reasons for the 1800s growth was for business leaders to access overseas markets and materials. They knew they would receive federal assistance and protection from the government.

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433 Words | 2 Pages

The primary groups that were involved with western expansion, were the Native americans and the white settlers. This also included miners, railroad tycoons, and ranchers. Many major events that occurred with this was the Indian wars, homestead act, movement of natives to reservations,

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492 Words | 2 Pages

Overall, the closing of the frontier was a turning point in American history, marking the end of one era and the beginning of another. By transforming the economy and society, it laid the groundwork for the United States to become the global superpower it is today. During the period between 1865 and 1898, one additional factor that shaped American culture and character was the westward expansion and settlement of the frontier. The promise of land, opportunities for economic growth, and the idea of Manifest Destiny drove Americans to venture beyond the Mississippi River and into the

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762 Words | 4 Pages

In the years following the Revolutionary War the United States would begin to expand, although not popular among all citizens, it helped shape the country into what we know today. The first acquisition of territory would be as a result of the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain ending the Revolutionary War. This treaty marked the boundaries between the British colonies still located in North America and ceded the thirteen American colonies to a newly recognized country known as the United States of America. This would not be the only acquisition of territory that the United States would complete between the years of 1789 and 1815 but it would be the initial acquisition of territory that would develop this newly formed nation.

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The people who settled the west were greatly dependent on the US government and the policies they adopted. The settling of the west in the late 19th century was similar to the settlement of the south in the 1830’s. Andrew Jackson drove out the indians so that the valuable land of the south could be secured by white settlers. Once again, the federal government made it possible to settle the west by forcing indians off of their lands. A recurring theme in American history is manifest destiny and the attempt to develop unsettled lands by the federal government.

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842 Words | 4 Pages

The similarities between the east and west didn’t stop there, with the introduction of the railroad the west became a booming place for business. A lot of smart business men saw this potential and jumped on it just as they had building huge manufacturing plants on the east coast they bought up land to create mega ranches that eventually put a lot of the smaller farms out of

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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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Westward Expansion gave hope to many Americans. This act of growing the USA boosted our industry. Yet, this placed fear into many people’s hearts, especially minorities. This period of American history took place from 1803-1850. White men still overruled the country, and slavery was a key factor in the country’s trade.

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1042 Words | 5 Pages

The West, as we all know it as the "Wild West". The Industrial Age changed the West in many ways. In the West there had always been farmers. Farming, mining, and cattle were the life of the West. A great variety of Native American cultures ruled most parts of the area.

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703 Words | 3 Pages

People were drawn to the West because it was scene as the last resort to make a living when all else failed in the East. Communication with friends and family who had moved west led these pioneers to believe the journey would be easy and the reward for getting west would be best. And the greatly available land was the strongest pulling factor to people interested in adventuring west. Migration was a personal choice that depended on several key factors, “Age of the head of household; economic status; personal attitudes; and projected costs and benefits of the resettlement.” Most historians agree that the majority of the people who migrated west were middle class and mostly immigrants to the US.

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2016 Words | 9 Pages

“Once we became an independent people it was as much a law of nature that this [control of all of North America] should become our pretension as that the Mississippi should flow to the sea” –John Quincy Adams (Henretta, p. 384). In the 1840s, Americans had a belief that God destined for them to expand their territory all the way westward to the Pacific Ocean. This idea was called Manifest Destiny. In the nineteenth century, Americans were recognized for coming together and building up one another for one cause: westward expansion.

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719 Words | 3 Pages

For some, it was destiny to move west. Although there were many conflicts and disagreements between ourselves and others, it was destiny to move west because of overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities. In the 19th Century, overpopulation was one of the major reasons for Westward Expansion. Immigrants were flooding into America for new opportunities and new ways of life and there was just not enough land to suffice the needs for all of the people. These immigrants were arriving in America in the port cities on the East Coast.

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