Short And Long Term Effects Of Westward Expansion

SanJaya Reed Mr. McCormick AP US History 4A January 19, 2015 Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase was a very imperative moment during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. He concluded that he would buy all 827,000 square miles of Louisiana, land west of the Mississippi River, for approximately 15 million dollars in 1803.

The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803. It had 828,000 square miles and most of the inhabitants in the region had a French, German, or Spanish background. The residents of the territory believed they would immediately be admitted to statehood and would have the same rights as those in the 1787 Northwest Ordinance, but the United States leaders thought otherwise. How did the Louisiana Purchase help the United States form a new notion about citizenship? The Louisiana Purchase helped the United States form a new notion when discussing the legality of the territory and how they would achieve statehood.

Farmers were clamoring for Westward Expansion as they needed more land to grow their crops. Additionally, the resources found within the territory would be worth more than the $15 million paid for the land itself. Furthermore, Napoleon was known for his expansionist tendencies and by letting France control the land, it could become a threat to the United States. Moreover, Napoleon was desperate for money and could sell the Louisiana Territory to another country if the Administration waited too long to buy the land. The entry of a new foreign power into North America could severely damage trade and enhance tensions between the United States and foreign powers.

The westward expansion of America in the 1800s shaped the borders of the country and changed the nation as a whole, but was it really destiny? The idea that changed Americans’ attitudes and encouraged them to bravely travel into the wild west was essential to the growth of the new country. The growth of America at the time would ultimately lead to the ending of slavery, a major shift in the economy, and would allow Americans to live the life they dreamed of. The United States before westward expansion was overpopulated, and cities on the East coast were unsanitary and crowded. America’s population grew by 8 million people from 1850 to 1860.

Western Expansion Between 1860 and 1890 America has got an impressive expansion history; in particular, the western expansion is considered a central theme in its history. The greatest influence or force that has shaped the American society and democracy was its free land which intensely affected the American society as put forth by Fredrick Turner. Economists pushed for the full utilization of the American soil which consequently resulted in more worth (Quay, 2002). New cities popped up, businesses developed, railway networks built, agricultural land improved and territories and states also expanded. The expansion occurred progressively, much of the expansion took place the periods 1860 to 1890.

Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers to buy land totaling 828,000 square miles and that was the Louisiana purchase on top of that. The Louisiana Purchase stretched from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States acquired a large area of land from the French. It was the single largest purchase of land ever by the United States and doubled the size of the country. And, in 1803, Napoleon offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million.

Western Expansion Western expansion is the populating of the western part of the United States. This event took place in the mid 1800s to the early 1900s, and it was the western area of the United states expanding to the pacific area of America. This event took place in result of the Manifest destiny, gold rush of 1849, the homestead act, and railroads.

The Louisiana Purchase was one of the United States’ largest land deals ever. The US bought the one hundred, eighty-six thousand square mile territory for about 5.5 cents per square mile, 35 and one-third cent per acre. At that time, the early 1800’s, the US was expanding westward, and Louisiana, which was owned by Spain, was right in the way. Thomas Jefferson become the third president of the United States on February seventeenth, 1801, and was looking west even before.

Many things have happened in our Nation’s history to make it as great as it is today, one of those being The Louisiana Purchase. Without this purchase, our nation wouldn’t be half the size it is now. This purchase created the United States of America. Back in 1802, when everything was being settled, President Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the United States Representative in France, known as Robert R. Livingston.

The Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana purchase was one of the biggest land purchases in history. In 1803, the United States paid around $15 million dollars for around 800,000 square miles of land. This was arguably the greatest achievement of thomas jefferson’s presidency. The louisiana territory was a wild card in the european game of imperialism.

Three specific events of Westward Expansion allowed the United States to grow immensely: the Louisiana Purchase, Texas Annexation, and Mexican Cession. As the United States land increased due

Also, with the control of the Mississippi river we could now have stronger trade and be able to use the Mississippi river for different things. This evidence supports that it was a very smart move that the United States decided to make the Louisiana Purchase with France. To conclude, the Louisiana Purchase was a very smart move by the United States because this allowed many positive thing to happen. First, it allowed the western country to have peace and prosperity mainly with the Indians and opened a free and valuable market. Second, it doubled the size of the United States making it a bigger and stronger nation.

The Westward Expansion all started when America made the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. There were many benefits from the purchase for the US that the French didn’t realize before they sold it. The purchase gave the US access to the Mississippi river which allowed for expansion of river trade to the North and South from the center of the US. The port city of New Orleans was bought by the US and its prosperity benefited the US greatly. The US sent Lewis and Clark west to investigate the land they purchased.

“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.

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.