Westward Expansion Essay

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.

In the late 1800s, America began to grow and government decided to explore and expand to new lands. After sending explorers to see the new land, they began to move into the western territory where Natives were already settled.  Western expansion affected the lives of Native Americans during the period 1860- 1890 because Americans forcefully took their land, lives and traditions away. The government pushed for the removal of Natives in any way possible or get them to convert to American ways.

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

America today would not be the same without westward expansion, the railroad and the American dream. Westward Expansion is the all American story “Cowboys and Indians “is the first thing that comes to mind when people say America and without westward expansions that would have never happened. Without Railroads transporting items and people took thousands of dollars and a weeks upon weeks. “The railroads were the arteries of America” Tom

What was Westward expansion? Westward expansion held a series of voyages for America to conquer more land so they could reach the Western boarder. In the 19th century, Americans across the United States believed all of North America belongs to the United States and were determined to conquer the land and wouldn’t let the problems they faced along the way stop them. The Mexican American war proved to the world that America is serious and ready to fight for what they believe they deserve. The United States won a series of premeditated and unpremeditated battles against Mexico due to its strong army, well thought out plans and strategies.

There was a lot of land untouched and great for farming and mining. The once uncivilized, desolate land was now discovered to have precious metals, good area for farming and bountiful in land for creating transcontinental railroads. Reconstruction of the south definitely was a contributing factor for the Westward expansion. After the Civil War, the south was destroyed, filled with ruins and desolation. The South and the West had opportunities for businesses, agriculture, and a new start for many

The westward expansion took a long time. The First Transcontinental Railroad, the Gold Rush, and the Oregon Trail were all big parts of the westward expansion. The Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad built by Chinese and Irish workers which took six years. The Chinese workers worked for the Central Pacific railroad.

They wanted cheaper land to start new crops for trade, they wanted more ability to make money than they already had, and they wanted more freedom (religion) then what they were already being received. Waves of people with this desire for something new, gathered all their belongings and went exploring westward. This exploring led to, what we all know it as today, the westward expansion, this included the states California, Oregon, Colorado, Texas and

The west started to become more popularized by Americans during the nineteenth century. Settlers in New England started to move westward because the soil of New England was not able to produce high amounts of grain. As a result, the farmers would set out to find a new piece of land to grow their crops on. The farmer’s lively hood as well as their families relied on land to produce the resources their family needed to live. However, most of the land settlers began to occupy was already the home to Native Americans.

America has made great advancements, from the economy to inventions, one of the many changes that influenced America greatly was the Industrial Revolution. Due to new inventions, people had to move west in order to build mills and factories. During that process, Americans forced the Native Americans off their land. Native Americans tried to protect their land but they lost and were sent to reservations. The land was seized and Americans built their railroads, because railroads were the most popular form of travel at the time.

From the late 18th early 19th centuries, Westward expansion dominated the United States of America. Westward expansion was the push towards going to the west coast whether it was for new job opportunities, a better home life, or safer living options or pull factors. This changed American ways and views of life as well as altered other cultures' ways of life. Westward expansion and industrialization negatively affected America's political views, social views, cultural views and overall economic development of the United States due to the amounts of discrimination and assimilation that different groups faced, the amounts of capitalism in the work industry, and the idealization and spread of Manifest Destiny.

Westward expansion was a period of American history in the 1800s when the United States expanded its territories westward, acquiring new lands and extending its borders. This period of expansion was driven by a combination of factors, including economic, political, and cultural forces. The United States was a new country with an enormous amount of assets and a developing population in the early 1800s. Over the next few decades, the United States continued to expand westward, with settlers moving across the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Coast. This period of expansion was marked by conflict and conquest, as the United States clashed with Native American tribes, Spanish colonizers, and other nations for control of the land.

The western expansion had a large impact on the United States. Although it had a positive impact on the country as they gained an economic growth, it had a negative impact on the Native Americans who had experienced a decrease in population. Western expansion began in 1803 with Thomas Jefferson purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million as the U.S. population increased drastically. “...from around 5 million people in 1800 to more than 23 million by 1850,” (History.com) According to History.com, the purchase of Louisiana Territory gave them another 828,000 square miles, which stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.

This allowed for the transportation of goods and people across vast distances, which opened up the West to settlement and commerce. The expansion of railroads, however, had a devastating impact on the buffalo herds, which were essential to the Plains Indians' way of life. The railroads allowed for the hunting of buffalo to become commercialized and more efficient, leading to the decimation of the buffalo herds, which was the main source of food for the Plains Indians. This was supported by “the Extermination of the American Bison,” which states that the extermination of the buffalo’s was caused by Americans reckless greed, wanton destructiveness, and improvidence. The Buffalo’s also supplied the Indian with food, clothing, shelter, bedding, saddles, ropes, shields, and innumerable smaller articles of use and ornament.

Westward expansion impacted Americans in both positive and negative ways. Firstly, the Westward expansion impacted white settlers from America in a positive way. The white settlers were moving westward to have a better life which included free religion. Many of the settlers moved to the West in hopes of becoming rich by mining, farming, ranching, logging in Oregon and Washington, or selling equipment for mining or farming.