Westward expansion, although simply a pact to move westward caused conflict and anger to Northern and Southerners. This tension rose due to the fugitive slave act, and the Kansas-Nebraska act. In 1845 the phrase manifest destiny was coined. Many Americans assumed it was their God-given-right to spread westward, bringing American culture with them (285). This phrase empowered Americans to move west, however, conflict arose in the conquest of lands such as the annexation of Texas which led to the Mexican-American War, acquiring California and New Mexico. These newly acquired lands led to pressing questions if they would be free or slave states which was a precursor to the climactic fugitive slave act. In 1850 President Taylor enacted the 1850 Compromise. Taylor agreed for California to become a free state under the Union, for New Mexico and Utah to decide if they were free or slave states through popular sovereignty, and the slave trade to be abolished in the District of Columbia (310). However, the fourth and most controversial portion of the 1850 Compromise was the Fugitive Slave Act. This stated that it was Americans moral duty to return escaped slaves to their masters, there was a $10 reward for individuals who returned a fugitive slave, so the number of kidnappers increased leading to escaped slaves to be returned to their masters (310). This caused anger to accumulate among Northerners, Nash states, “In a few dramatic episodes, notably in Boston, literary and
Westward expansion was a time of successes and failures, a time celebrations and grief, a time full of life and death but in the end it shaped how America is the way is today. Westward expansion was put in action because of the belief of Manifest Destiny, the belief that it is America fate to expand from the Atlantic to Pacific ocean. The economical, political and humanitarians impacts were necessary to achieve the goal of manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion.
The story of the United States has always been one of westward expansion, beginning along the East Coast and continuing, often by leaps and bounds, until it reached the Pacific, what Theodore Roosevelt described as "the great leap westward." The acquisition of Hawaii and Alaska, though not usually included in discussions of Americans expanding their nation westward, continued the practices established under the principle of Manifest Destiny. Even before the American colonies won their independence from Britain in the Revolutionary War, settlers were migrating westward into what are now the states of Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as parts of the Ohio Valley and the Deep South. Westward expansion was greatly aided in the early 19th century in the year of 1803 by the Louisiana Purchase , which was followed by the Corps of Discovery Expedition that is generally called the Lewis and Clark Expedition; the War of 1812, which secured existing U.S. boundaries and defeated native tribes of the Old Northwest, the region of the Ohio and Upper Mississippi valleys, and the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forcibly moved virtually all Indians from the Southeast to the present states of Arkansas and Oklahoma, a journey known as the Trail of Tears. In 1845, a journalist by the name of John O’Sullivan created the term "Manifest Destiny," a belief that Americans and American institutions are morally superior and therefore Americans are morally obligated to spread those institutions in order to free people in the Western Hemisphere from European monarchies and to uplift "less civilized" societies, such as the Native American tribes and the people of Mexico. The Monroe Doctrine, adopted in 1823, was the closest America ever came to making Manifest Destiny official policy; it put European nations on notice that the U.S. would defend other nations of the Western Hemisphere from further colonization. The debate over whether the U.S. would continue slavery and expand the area in which it existed or abolish it altogether became increasingly contentious throughout the first half of the 19th century. When the Dred Scott case prevented Congress from passing laws prohibiting slavery and the Kansas-Nebraska act gave citizens of new
The United States began its life as a small nation consisting of only thirteen states. Over time the leaders of this county recognized that in order to prosper the nation would need to expand beyond the current set borders. Westward Expansion was the only solution, to adopt such a large endeavor meant that the population had to have a reason to migrate west. Expansion had appeal to the Southern land owners for the fact that the Missouri Compromise did not affect territories that were not part of the Louisiana Purchase, while those who did not have land moved west with the promises of land of their own to farm and own, yet congress continued to battle over “slave states” and “free states” to keep the balance. Westward expansion had many contributions to make to the Unites States.
I mostly agree with this statement because westward expansion caused the most tension politically, economically and territorially between the northern and southern states due to the balance of power. However, it could be argued that the north and south's views on slavery was a more significant cause the civil war.
Prompt: Using information you gathered from a variety of texts, write a letter from the chosen group’s point of view, stating their opinion of Westward Expansion by answering the question, “Was Westward Expansion worth it?” Quote evidence from the text to support your claim.
The main purpose of the settlers going to the conlines is because they had religious freedom there without persecution . This is what everyone was looking for because in England there was a power struggle against the puritans and King . Another reason settlers settled in the middle colonies was because there was a good government , so they could vote for who they wanted in the house. It was the people who wanted to start over who went to the middle colonies because they wanted to get away from the monarchy in England and if that meant that they went to the southern colonies . so they wanted to go to the middle colonies because of those certain things. Then they settled in the southern colonies because they would plant lots of crops there
Upon the end of the Civil war, the United States found itself picking up the pieces of a devastated nation. Many viewed Westward expansion as a unifying mechanism for the North and the South, establishing a new hope for prosperity. In a post war semi unstable democracy, new political conflicts arose, including the future of the Native American people, the cultivation of new lands, how to assimilate those who stood in the way of the impending construction of railroads. Despite the war over the abolition of slavery ending, new racial politics and different ideas in regards to the Native American communities initiated two clashing agendas. A nation who sought unification could not have been more divided than it was during the civil war in regards to what to do with newly freed slaves. A combination of the Homestead Act and various Indian Policies, created a lose-lose situations amongst the Natives. In a heartfelt plea of understanding
The westward expansion of America involves many events that are important to history as a whole. It took place during the Age of Imperialism which began during the nineteenth and twentieth century. Westward expansion was a major event that took place throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the early half of the nineteenth century, the westward movement arose numerous issues involving social class, gender roles, and slavery by both political and social means.
What were the causes of westward expansion and how did the United States achieve Manifest Destiny?
Didn't the traveling time from coast to coast use to take months? Aren't you glad you don't have to take hazardous and slow wagons currently? During the Industrial Revolution, many factors contributed to the rapid expansion of the West. Before the transcontinental railroad was fully completed, the travel time from coast to coast was costly and took months through very troublesome terrain. Even though there were several constructive results from inventions, there were also dire consequences. The improvements made were great but, they came with substantial economic and political costs. One of these great improvements was the construction of the railroad. This helped many Americans to travel west in a week instead months. Towns sprung up all along the railways, increasing the population of the west dramatically.
During the late 1800’s, Westward Expansion influenced the U.S society and their economy. Theodore Roosevelt described saying, “the great leap westward.” The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 was greatly aided to spark the western movement. Which was later followed by the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized President Andrew Jackson to negotiate with Indian tribes in the Southern U.S, which forcibly moved them to Arkansas and Oklahoma. This journey was known as theTrail of Tears. John O’Sullivan, coined the term “Manifest Destiny in 1845 believing that Americans are obligated to spread institutions to free people in the western hemisphere from European monarchies. He wanted to uplift the “less civilized” societies
Before becoming the Unite States of America, one of a massive country in the world. There were many stories behind its successful. Controversies, violences, tragedies, rebellions, and wars were the combination of expansion of the United States. In U.S. history, a story began from the east coast where the game players from. The competition between the north and the south was intense, and to occupy a piece of land was a prize that worth to fight for.
“Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!” yelled Samuel Brannan running through the streets, starting the entire famous Gold Rush (according to shmoop.com). You are about to know about a lot more things in the westward than you knew before, because this essay is going to tell you lots of things that happened during the westward expansion. Things like what type of things people did or needed when they shopped (or bartered), the gold rush, the (free) homestead act (which by the way was eventually passed), and about how fur trappers lay (or make) down the Oregon Trail.
One of the many tendencies of the White European system of Westward Expansion is a blindness to recognize the history and advancements of civilization achieved in the West prior to White European arrival. Within the passage “The American West and the Burden of Belief,” Momaday argues that White Europeans demonstrate unaccepting and naive attitudes towards Native culture and their role in society. Momaday’s argument is strengthened when describing an ex-cavalry leader in the Civil War: George Armstrong Custer. Momaday suggests, “George Armstrong Custer could see and articulate the beauty of the plains, but he could not see the people who inhabited them. Or he could see them only as enemies, impediments to the glory for which he hungered. He
The westward expansion was a real event. The westward expansion was about how the natives had their land taken over and how the white men who was ordered by Jefferson. The white men in charge was Lewis and Clark. In addition to the natives having their land taken they were used as slaves. Jefferson had mutual respect for the natives though and said he wouldn’t count them as slaves. Lewis and Clark were the first two of the white men to make peace with the natives. The white men used the natives for the resources and their crops.