Westward expansion played a huge part in history and helped the United States become what it is today. In 1803, the United States started expanding westward by obtaining more land. The United States got land through purchasing, negotiation, war, and annexation. Such a great expansion would surely have an impact on the country. Westward expansion impacted both positively and negatively the people living in America, the environment, and the growth of the United States. Different people experienced both positive and negative effects during Westward expansion. Many Americans were able to acquire new land, while some Native Americans were forced off of their home land. In Document B, in the picture American Progress by John Gast, it shows Americans riding their horses …show more content…
The United States obtained the Pacific coast; this was very useful for the beginning of trade with Japan and other East Asian countries. In a letter discussing the new cooperation in trade between the United States and Japan, it states “I am desirous that our two countries should trade with each other for the benefit both of Japan and the United States” (Document C). This evidence shows that because the United States now has the Pacific coast due to Westward expansion, they can now trade with new countries. If the United States did not acquire the East Coast and California, they would not be able to trade with Japan or other East Asian countries. The United States benefited greatly from being able to trade with new countries, as they could get a lot of new resources. The United States would not even be able to trade with the new countries if they did not go through Westward expansion. This new aspect of trading helped the United States grow and advance. In conclusion, Westward Expansion impacted the growth of the United States by allowing us to open up trade with new countries because we obtained the Pacific
When the Indians tried to move out of the way to not come into conflict the white men opened fire on them. 2. Farming, mining, and ranching changed western landscape and the environment because now there was more agriculture, mining changed mountains, and ranching used animals to cultivate the land. 3. Technology was great achievement in the westward expansion.
It was also important because of the resources they obtained by expanding west. The railroads helped generate wealth in the west. With big markets in the east, railroads were built in the west to link the east to the west. This was so that revenue could grow as the west increased in size. With the railroads many industries were able to send their products back and fourth.
The facts you present regarding the United States westward expansion is extremely informative. Now, the connection of the Transcontinental Railroad is a significant milestone in American History because it allows goods and materials from the west and east to move across the nation with ease. Consequently, this allows more citizens to settle throughout the nation achieving the Manifest Destiny goal. Additionally, the Homestead Act contributes to moving massive amounts of people who once had reservations regarding the west to the far outlying plans. Now, considering all of the information regarding westward expansion, do you feel that this mass movement of people aids in the creation of new goods and services? Finally, fantastic job over the
America’s westward expansion really affected the lives of the Native Americans in several ways. Since Americans were wanting land for farming, ranching, and mining, it took away the Native Americans land for hunting and gathering. In general, this dramatically changed the face of American history.
The Westward Expansion is normally regarded as the main subject of American history as well as the main factor in the building of American history.
In Robert Morgan’s article “There is No True History of the Westward Expansion,” he talks about how there are famous people, yet some of those people are unknown while all the famous figures, such as Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, are known because of the victories they have made. He also talks about how westward expansion is the greatest folk movement of modern times. However, many have lost their lives upon this movement. The westward expansion has made more trouble in the country than people realize.
Territorial expansion impacted national unity socially, economically and politically. As new settlers and immigrants came to America, the need for land grew, forcing people westward. People of different backgrounds migrated and settled among each other, creating new and diverse communities. As the west became more inhabited, the government became involved and decided which states would become slave states and which states would become free states. The new states and territories created more room for political differences among citizens. Economically, it made sense to move westward, where there was more land for farming. Farmers that had more land could grow more cotton and own more slaves which benefited the country greatly.
The Westward Expansion was the nation's future as depended on by Thomas Jefferson. In 1803 the Louisiana purchase took place, doubling the size of the country. The Westward Expansion allowed the emigrants of the Oregon trail to expand out west, making the people a new start to a better future. The emigrant’s on the Oregon trail faced the most difficulty trying to survive and thrive in the west due to life threatening diseases, harsh weather patterns, and supply deprivation.
Westward Expansion and the thinking of Manifest Destiny had huge effects on the American People, Native Americans, and even other countries. Westward expansion was the moving of American “white” people to the West of the Mississippi River which in turn caused Native Americans that had been living there to be forcefully removed to different reservations in Oklahoma and Kansas. Manifest Destiny was the thinking that Americans had the right too and inevitably would move West and gain new lands. This thinking turned the United States into a world power and helped boost us economically, politically, and militarily. Unfortunately there are two sides to every story and as positive as becoming a world power is, many Native Americans died and great treacheries were committed against them.
The Westward expansion allowed the United States to gain more land. “Between the end of the Civil War and 1890, eight new western states entered the Union.” The land the government forcibly took from the Native Americans was freely given to farmers and miners. This stolen land helped grow the American economy. In an effort to “whiten”
this eventually had more immigrants coming into the states during the 19th century but ,most of them were Europeans came here to have their own land.It also added vast resources to the United States in potential agricultural and production .It started the construction of the Railroad, and added new states to the country and It also made divide between north and south, and accelerated the onset of the Civil War. the westward expansion helped the people also It made American society richer and in doing so Getting access to more land and more resources helped to make the country richer.It helped to promote the idea that the US wanted to be a great power in the world . Expansion was based on taking land from natives and spanish who were underclass . This eventually helped promote the idea that Americans were better than others and deserved more power. It is said to have helped create a more democratic culture and By going out west, people became more self-reliant because they had to face hardships on their own instead of relying on people to solve them themselves some people don't like it to be there. the more land that they got and expanded made it to where they need more people in that area to be and more money it cost to civilize it and the more land they are taking away from
Back in the 1800s we were expanding west constantly, and finding new areas. Though this was good for us, it negatively impacted another group of people. The Native Americans living in the area that we moved through to get to where we wanted were constantly pushed out of their homes and forced to move. This is only a small example of how Native Americans were impacted by the western expansion of the United States.
The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of U.S in 1803. But it is not enough for ambitious Americans, we are not satisfied, we wanted more territory. So western expansion did not end, it actually keep moved. Westward Expansion is a very significant part in U.S history. It operated perfectly based on the ideology called manifest destiny. However, the creation of this theory is on purpose. It was used to push U.S territory to further west.
The influence of the westward expansion in the West is still evident today. Influences such as land, and the individualist mindset remain the same today. Also, a lot of ways the frontier land today is isolated compared to the West we live in today, too. The frontier emphasized the spirit of nationalism and individualism in the United States.
In our extensive study of American History this year, one of the main themes we have seen is expansion. When the Americans were trying to break free of the harsh British control, they were expanding. Most of the major events in U.S history happen because of expansion or have something to do with expansion. While studying expansion thoroughly, I came across a question, was all of this expansion good or bad? All American events that revolve around expansion have positive and negative effects, I found my answer as to which outweighs the other. I found this answer from analyzing two major extensional events in U.S history, the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican War.