Expansion Of The United States

To start off, in this period of time america was in a mode of vast expansionism. This expansionism was clear to see and similar to what we had done in the past with the land that is now america. In the

The United States currently occupies around thirty-seven percent of North America, but how has this prosperous country expanded so fast in the last three centuries? The US is currently one of the largest countries in the world and the second largest in North America. Though most Americans know about the original Thirteen Colonies, several of them might have trouble trying to list another major affair through which the United States has expanded westward. Many battles and fights have caused the borders of the United States and the states and territories of the land now deemed to the United States to have changed; along with major purchases of land, the battles and fights have brought America to the current size it is.

“Evolution is a process of constant branching and expansion.” That quote, once said by Stephen Jay Gould, can represent the Westward Expansion of the United States. In the early 1800s, the United States started trying to expand west. The U.S. acquired Florida, Texas, the Gadsden Territory, the Mexican Cession, the Oregon Territory, and the Louisiana Territory. All of those acquisitions helped evolve the United States into what it is today. Almost all of the land we own is from the Westward Expansion. Unfortunately, the United States were greedy and had to keep branching and expanding out west in order to become a more powerful country. The actions that the U.S. chose to expand were not just to harm others. In fact, none of the acquisitions in the Westward Expansion were through war. The reason for the United States’ actions was to acquire more land, and some of the time, the opposing country would refuse a treaty, and the U.S. showed their greed by attacking those pieces of land, trying to force the opposing country to cede the land. Therefore, the U.S. was greedy and would use any way that it could to acquire land from other countries

In the 19th century the U.S grew in size and power. After the Louisiana Purchase from France, which doubled the size of the country also opened up a bit better-known region to exploration and ultimate settlement. Soon, explorers were getting back from forays into the geographic region with stories of nice stretches of beauty and fertile land.That helped and encouraged the government and the people to move west and acquire more lands. Although the Western Expansion had a great effect on the Western Frontier which helped in forming railroads and helped the economy, but it had a huge effect on the Native People as they lost their lands and many died people

Westward Expansion in the United States created controversy about the admission of new states into the union. The first provision of the Westward Expansion was the Compromise of 1850. This compromise was designed to settle disputes among the North and South states about slavery expansion. Senator Henry Clay proposed that California be admitted as a free slave in a trade-off for tougher fugitive slave laws for runaways.

After the Civil War, the West was painted as a place of opportunity and improved lives. Millions of people began a western migration which dramatically changed the economic, political, and social dynamics of the area. The prospect of finding gold or silver, and making it rich, brought many people to California, Nevada, and Colorado. Other mining towns saw an influx of settlers in Alaska, Idaho, and the Dakotas.

Expansion of the United States of America was paramount in the early years of the nation. The

Expansion has been a core idea in the United States for centuries. Looking to better and grow the country has driven it to take charge. The country decided many what direction it would go in, and how it would do so, but in doing so, there would be many consequences. As the country grew, so did its power and control. Names were written into history books as people helped define and build the nation. Some of the names lead the nation to conflict and turmoil. Due to people’s lust for progress, power and money, the Gilded Age led to many great advancements in the United States, but at the cost of great turmoil for many minority groups.

(Intro) since July 4th 1776 the great country we call the United States has been growing. It started small; just a few immigrants seeking a new world for religious freedoms, and has grown into a world power. It was not an easy journey though, our country experienced many struggles along the way: political disagreements over land, wars, Indian, and technological blocks. As a country we have been very resourceful; throughout history we have come together, explored new land, made monumental changes in technologies, and our thought processes. Once a country of only thirteen colonies, we have gone through great westward expansion to become a united nation of fifty states.

Over the past centuries a few, small colonies became a thriving nation brimmed with promises of wealth and freedom. These aspects brought immigrants from around the world, all wanting a part of the American culture. The United States grew drastically and new land became available over time. This surge in population created the Manifest Destiny, the belief of expansion from sea to sea. The United States’ westward expansion was a wicked, but vital component during the 1800s that allowed the nation to exercise its power and prosper economically at the price of unfair manipulation towards Native Americans as well as a cruel game of tug of war with the lives of slaves.

Westward expansion seemed perfectly natural to Americans in the mid-nineteenth century. Many settlers even believed that America, as a nation, was destined−by God himself− to expand westward. This ideology became known as the Manifest Destiny. Although many Americans thought it to be a kindly movement driven by pride, it continuously proved to be aggressive, racist, and imperialistic.

By the 1840’s America was becoming a world power to be reckoned with. In order for the country to keep up with the increasing amount of people and become more powerful, the US expanded westward. After the War of 1812 a lot of America's attention went into exploration and settlement of all of the territory to the West, which had been expanded by the Louisiana Purchase. Families of pioneers traveled westward and found new communities through what is now called the Midwest. Westward expansion occurred for multiple reasons such as Manifest Destiny which was idea that the United States and its accompanying culture should spread across the entire continent. Another cause was the gold rush which was a rapid movement of people to a newly discovered goldfield. The Louisiana Purchase that is a treaty signed with France in 1803 by which the U.S. purchased for $15,000,000 the land extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky

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.

The westward expansion can be marked by a tremendous expansion of industry and agriculture as well as the spread of settlements across the continent. The population of the United states was said that it doubled during this period. Most of the growth was concentrated in the plain states across the continent as well as the Northeast and Midwest. The Northeast became the front runner in the industrial aspect of the land while the south remained mostly agricultural.

During the westward expansion the Indians were the only Texans who had any real knowledge of the land west of the present day Interstate Highway 35. Soon settlers began to push homesteads farther west into this uncharted region. The new explorers faced several dangers such as weather, water shortages, and uncertain relations with Indians. New explorations and developments in transportation and establishments brought more movement to the west. Residents began arriving in the west hoping to get rich land and political representation. The men and women who went out to establish the last frontier lived lives that would decisively shape the American character. The settlement of the frontier was driven by profit and political purpose. U.S. citizens pursued the work and adventure of subduing their country’s last frontier. Settling the frontier brought out the best and worst in people of all varieties that wanted to make their mark in the west.