Why Did So Many American Settlers Move To West In The 1800s

Expansion out West for the United States changed the dynamic of the United States forever. The intergration of whites and native americans caused a multitude issues for with the expansion out West. Striking gold was the dream of many moving out West with the idea of living an upper class life. Native Americans had a culture shock with the expansion out West by the United States government. Politcians played a huge role in the expansion out West such as Andrew Jackson.

Many factors greatly impacted the development of America such as slavery, railroads, wars, and agriculture. All of these factors can be placed into one of three overarching categories; technological innovation, territorial expansion, and cultural developments on the nation. Of the three factors, technological innovation was the factor which most dramatically altered life in the United States due to its presence in the development of both Cultural innovation and Territorial expansion. The United States brought technological advancements from the roads to war, there were very few aspects of modern day life that were not affected by the technological innovation that would soon spread across the world.

America faced a lot of change and transformation during the 19th, also known as the Gilded Age. America was heavily influenced socially, economically, politically, and culturally by westward expansion and industrialization. Many people expanded west of the Mississippi River because of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 (Westward Expansion: Encounters at a Cultural Crossroads). The United States brought the state of Louisiana from France for $15 million (Milestones: 1801-1829). Industrialization ties into westward expansion in a way.

Page 1: The United States was growing and needed more landIn 1803, the United States purchased a large area of French land through the Louisiana Purchase. There had been rapid growth in the United States. Through the Northwest Territory, people had been expanding westward to plant crops and raise livestock beyond the Appalachian Mountains. People needed more land to expand as these lands became more popular, so the west was the obvious choice.

Each new territorial addition opened up new land for settlers. In 1803, Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty pushed the West boundary of the U.S from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. The Manifest Destiny that occurred during the 1840s was inspired by the belief that our nation was destined to expand, so Americans acquired vast Western lands and began a movement to settle into these new territories. One group that made the journey west in the 1840s were the Mormons.

In the mid-1800s the United States continued to undergo prompt changes that had made the country distinguished since it formed. Primarily during this time, the U.S started to expand and grasp more of the idea of so called “manifest destiny” which meant belief that God intended the American nation to reach all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The Americans, now determined in the belief that it was their right as well as their fate to expand, supported the nation’s entitlements for new lands. Throughout most of the 1840s, the United States and Great Britain mutually managed Oregon, and Utah was part of Mexico. This did not stop Americans from settling in either area.

The Louisiana Purchase is one of the most momentous accomplishments in the history of the United States. The attainment of the Louisiana territory is arguably the largest land purchase in the world. General Horatio Gates stated this about the Louisiana Purchase “let the land rejoice... for you have bought Louisiana for a song” (Harriss). This attainment of new territory led to additional significant events in history that helped shape America. As a result of the Louisiana territory the way of government was also challenged in what a president may or may not do and if their powers extended past what was specifically laid out in the constitution.

Manifest Destiny is a unique, yet mysterious fundamental series of events in American history. No other country’s history contains such an eventful history as the United States. Amy Greenberg’s book, Manifest Destiny and American Territorial Expansion, provides documented evidence that settlers believed they were destined for expansion throughout the continent. In other words, many religious settlers believed that it was a call from God for the United States to expand west. On the other hand, people believed that Manifest Destiny vindicated the war against Mexico.

After their exploration, many people started to take interest in moving West. There were many different reasons why people moved, including a search for a fresh start at life, a chance at starting an economic success through agriculture and

“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.

Americans migration to Native American land was fueled by multiple events. Three of the main events were, the California Gold Rush of 1849, the Homestead Act of 1849 and Land Grants. Another idea that fueled the American migration was Manifest Destiny. This was a belief that it was inevitable for Americans to migrate into Native American Land. As well as this the Americans had untrue views of the Native Americans.

That is just one of many reasons there was Westward Expansion. Overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities. These are three of many reasons why Americans in the 1800’s felt urged to move west. Some may claim that Westward expansion was not right for America to do because of the conflicts that were aroused afterward.

Manifest Destiny and Its Effects on Slavery in America Manifest Destiny was a term first applied by New York Journalist John L. Sullivan in 1845, when he described the idea of the United States continuing to acquire new territory in North America; however, the concept of Manifest Destiny had been applied in principle long before then. From the conception of the United States, Americans believed that their country was one predestined by God to exemplify purity and freedom, and to “manifest to mankind the excellence of divine principles” (O’Sullivan, John L.); therefore, it was their duty to spread this spirit by continuing to gain territory (Foner 339). As the country spread, so did slavery, and the American economy became dependent upon this

The Westward Expansion consisted of almost 7 million Americans migrating west, hoping to get land and be wealthy. It is often called Manifest Destiny, because many people believed settlers was intended to expand the west. Because so many people thought this way it was also thought the U.S was physically separated from Europe. This migration of people included people from Spain, France, Mexico, and other countries. The Western Expansion had a part in the foreign policies in the expansion towards the pacific and the way the U.S treated their relationship with other

Manifest Destiny was the term used by John O’Sullivan to describe America’s desire to expand West due to reasons including both the vast amount of unclaimed land and the opportunities Americans wanted to explore. During this time, Americans believed that it was their God-given right to expand West, and therefore they were entitled to push away any groups that were in their way. Due to the mindset that the Americans could do as they pleased with the groups of people who got in their way, Manifest Destiny affected many groups of people, including the American Indians and Slaves, and continued to build up the preexisting tension between the North and South. One of the groups of people affected greatly by Manifest Destiny were the Native Americans. Manifest Destiny affected the American Indians by spreading foreign diseases to them as they moved Westward, through the Native American territory.