Westward Expansion Thesis

From 1817-1825, immigrants and native New Yorkers alike worked year round by hand and with the help of animals to complete the canal, which finally opened in October 26, 1825. Early on, horses and mules worked the canal system taking turns with boats in long shifts carrying cargo with towlines. At the beginning, the canal could accommodate thirty tons of freight. Travel on the canal to Buffalo from Albany took about five days. When traveled by stage coach, the route took about two weeks.

Manifest Destiny was the belief in the 19th century that the United States was destined to expand westward, from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast, in order to spread American values and institutions. This belief was used to justify the forced removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands, as well as the annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and the Oregon Treaty. One of the main arguments given by supporters of Manifest Destiny was that it was a God-given mission for the United States to expand westward and bring Christianity and "civilization" to the "savages" who lived in the western territories. Manifest Destiny provided a religious and cultural justification for American expansion across the continental United States, with the belief that the destiny of the United States was to spread democratic institutions "from sea to shining

The closure of the Frontier was motivated by American Manifest Destiny, which was an American idea that America’s destiny was to expand and bring American ideals to new lands. American Manifest Destiny provided the main motivation behind the settlement of the Frontier, as Americans and their government saw the Frontier as an uncivilized, mysterious land that had the potential to be settled by the rising population present in the Eastern United States. The American Federal Government advertised and urged potential settlers to journey West and occupy the land. In addition to the advertisement, legislation passed in 1862, named the Homestead Acts offered distributions of land to applicants that committed to living on the land for a substantial amount of time. As a result, more settlers poured into the area resulting in more communities being constructed in the American Frontier, furthermore, with the construction of railroads in the 1820s-1860s connecting East to, previously, remote areas in the West, travel

Would you move Westward? The Westward Expansion is when several of people moved West for the gold rush. Not many people become rich! Many people do go though! I would stay and not move Westward because it’s difficult and might die/get injured, I might not find gold, and it’s a long journey!

The information you showcase regarding the United States’ movement westward is very intuitive. Additionally, the information you showcase about the massacre of the Native American people during westward expansion is something that people often avoid discussing. Furthermore, the information regarding the governments’ incentive packages for moving west highlights how desperate the United States is to settle the new land. Now, consider that the military massacred hundreds of Native Americans, do you believe that those men should have stood trial for war crimes? Also, do you believe the government’s incentive packages are a contributing factor to settler’s clashes with Native Americans?

In the Nebraska Palladium, an author penned his article to talk about not only his desire to keep expanding westward, but to also explain that his fellow citizens have decided that expansion is what is right and necessary. He continues onward to explain some of the reasons about why he thinks continued expansion could be a very positive situation, citing commercial and agricultural growth. His specific belief on westward expansion is: not only is it right, but it is necessary to the successful growth of America. There’s a small section where he mentions territorial legislation, but he makes it sound as if definite law has not yet been passed. While he doesn’t specifically identify with a party in his article, he appears to align with the Republican

David Moline Mr. VanRuyven Social Science 27 April 2023 Westward Expansion “Manifest Destiny is the idea that the United States is destined—by God, its advocates believed—to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent. ”(History, 1). This belief that America was destined by God means they could do no wrong. This caused westward expansion in America to be a time of war, struggle, death and new opportunity. Although this was a violent time it also allowed for positive change; opportunity for money, a new life, and a chance to build a legacy from nothing.

The late 19th century was a time of exploration, innovation, and continued westward expansion. The West, however, was not as glorified as people today like to think it was. Westward expansion had many benefits, the main being lots of new land for both the Americans and immigrants, but many ideas of the West have been altered throughout the years. The West was romanticized in many ways, people moved to the West in the pursuit of happiness, but today many hardships of westward expansion have been ignored. Cowboys and homesteads are two major concepts that have been romanticized today about the West.

The birth of Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny in the United States can be traced back to the early 19th century when the country was still in its infancy. Manifest destiny is the belief that it was America’s mission to expand from coast to coast, and to spread its political, social, and economic systems to new lands. This belief evolved into the driving force behind westward expansion, and the American government adapted many policies and actions to make it a reality (Policarpo). One of the most significant events that marked the beginning of westward expansion was the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The idea that it was the destiny of the American people to expand and conquer new lands was viewed as a divine mission, and it became a popular rallying cry for politicians, intellectuals, and common citizens alike.

Westward Expansion Flash Draft Have you ever wondered about what would 've happened if the westward expansion never occurred? We wouldn 't have many things you know today and America would be a lot smaller. The westward expansion happened during the 1800s and helped shape the modern America. The westward expansion started with the Louisiana Purchase and was made even stronger by the Gold Rush. Many people came to strike it rich or just to start a new life out west.

During the first half of the 19 century America expanded west through land purchases,wars, and treaties. The trails to the west were the oregan trail and the santa fe trail. In 1803 the United States bought a huge amount of territory. During this time when settlers came to the west they moved Indianas off there land. The new lands were first made in to territory’s.

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.

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was a law passed with the intention of “[moving] all native Americans west of the Mississippi River into “Indian Territory” (Bentley 695), which is modern day Oklahoma. In Andrew Jackson’s words, the government would “purchase his [indigenous] lands … give him [indigenous] a new and extensive territory … pay the expense of his [indigenous] removal, and support him [indigenous] a year in his new abode” (Jackson, 1). President Jackson signed and supported this bill largely due to westward expansion. Manifest destiny, or the idea that the United States was destined by God to expand its territory across the entire continent of North America, justified American expansion and migration

“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.

The people who settled the west were greatly dependent on the US government and the policies they adopted. The settling of the west in the late 19th century was similar to the settlement of the south in the 1830’s. Andrew Jackson drove out the indians so that the valuable land of the south could be secured by white settlers. Once again, the federal government made it possible to settle the west by forcing indians off of their lands. A recurring theme in American history is manifest destiny and the attempt to develop unsettled lands by the federal government.