America's Economy Its Frontier Lawrence Shames Summary

During the 19th century, the American people were experiencing a revolution concerning both the economy and religion, in what is recognized today as the Market Revolution and the Second Great Awakening. A rapid increase in the population within the countryside, and the development of new technology outburst a change in the economy from one of local exchanges to one governed by capital and capitalists. Family owned businesses began to expand and sold their items not only among a small community, but now products were being shipped to different ports along the colonies. The industrialization movement was rapidly approaching that “Indian removal was necessary for the opening of the vast American lands to agriculture, to commerce, to markets, to

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.

Within the years 1800 and 1855 an issue that was making waves in the United States was whether the country should expand in size or not. Multiple events such as the Mexican-American war and the idea of “Manifest Destiny” lead to a growing discrepancy between the supporters and opponents of expansion. Although the opponents had some valid and understandable concerns with expansion, the supporters overall had a better argument. To start off, trade was a reason that many people supported the expansion of the United States. The supporters claimed that the expansion could lead to a route to Asia and that the United States trade would flourish and the economy would boom and everyone would have their fair share of the success (Doc. F).

Monica De la Rosa History 17 Professor Todd Menzing 31 July 2016 Emma Goldman As Nash stated in the book “American People” that at the advent of nineteenth century, America was a youthful country which was expanding. As the society and the people surged west over the mountains, they had to face a lot of hardships and problem. They were able to secure inconceivable new regions past the Mississippi (Nash, 30) gradually pushed further towards the coastlines.

Following the great explorative successes, some Americans would soon venture westwards which was largely supported by rhetoric, law and the vision of the founding fathers to have a far-reaching territory. As the manufacturing industry rose in New England, the westward expansion was both timely and economically viable. The American settlers were moving rapidly to what is referred to as the Midwest today and this necessitated the development of infrastructure through the development of canals, roads, and railroads. The rapid expansion of infrastructure, more specifically the railroads, would then purge the country into a new era of medicine, manufacture, and agricultural inventions (Neil, 1964). The Midwest became an inspiration that saw the symbolic development of the American identity in the 19th century with development of acting, painting, and writing.

In my opinion and based on readings I think that the western frontier fostered values of American democracy and individualism. Moving west allowed settlers and even immigrants the opportunity to make a new life for them and their families. The “Gold Rush” and mining for other precious metals such as silver, copper, lead and iron brought many people west to explore and find riches. Many cities such as Virginia City, Nevada were industrialized and colonized by those who wanted to find riches in those precious metals. Many of these settlers were immigrants, it is noted that the Utah Territory, that eventually became known as Nevada, had about 30 percent of people settling that were from outside the United States, compared to 25 percent in New

The idea he brought into light about the image of the frontier and the west inspiring American development can be seen throughout this time, and into the 20th century as well. As America moved to the west, more areas where becoming populated and developed, creating new challenges for the government. Some included requesting protection provided by the government against feared Indian tribes. Also, large land owning railroad companies would ask for lessening fees paid to the government and acquiring additional lands to assist them in developing rail lines in many portions of the west. As the frontier grows, the government continued passing legislation to support and give incentive to those to go out west.

The improvements to the U.S. economy were important because they greatly augmented the already-lacking infrastructure of infant America, setting it up for future success, later seen in Clay’s American

In the year 1821, Mexico had won independence from Spain. They allowed for Americans to settle in Texas, they were given the land that no Mexicans had yet to claim. The only catch was for Americans to become Mexican citizens, learn Spanish and convert to Catholicism. They never really became “Mexican”, they kept speaking English and were still the same Americans as before arriving in Texas.

The innovation of railroads, in particular, “helped to create new economic methods and institutions that were essential in guiding and shaping the American drive to industrialism” (Chandler 1965, 5). Chandler describes the railroads’ important impact on the “the expansion of wheat and cattle production, the coming of new commercial routes, and the adoption of mass-production methods in the manufacture of iron and consumer durables” (Chandler 1965, 23). These impacts all aided in the Westward movement. As Chandler recounts, “The railroad brought as significant changes to America’s industries as it did to its agriculture and commerce” (Chandler 1965, 22). The railroad revolutionized the transport of supplies that were necessary to industrial growth.

This transforms the Trans-Allegheny west into a center of commercial agriculture. The manufacturing of new inventions and improvements in transportation including roads, canals, steamships, and railroads, leads to the development of the United States economy becoming a national market economy which causes an increased sense of nationalism in the American people because they become more united and therefore, took another step into forming a totally unified

Exam Paper 1 In what ways did the American West of the late nineteenth century represent a contrast to the East? In what ways did the two regions resemble each other?

Between 1800 and 1875, America continuously expanded westward through the acquisition of new land; there were both favorable and unfavorable consequences and outcomes of westward expansion. From 1800 to 1875 due to westward expansion, America was able to reach the goal of expanding

Transportation, because of these advances, would become the best it had ever been. Many opportunities followed this in production and with these inventions, the country was more connected than ever. It is ironic that while the country was becoming more and more connected, the Plains Indians were separated into their own entities at a greater

“Frontierland. It is here that we experience the story of our country's past. The color, romance and drama of frontier America as it developed from wilderness trails to roads, riverboats, railroads and civilization. A tribute to the faith, courage and ingenuity of our hearty pioneers who blazed the trails and made this progress