Westward Expansion

Definition

Westward Expansion refers to the 19th-century movement of settlers, pioneers, and the U.S. government to acquire and occupy lands west of the original thirteen American colonies. This territorial growth shaped the political, economic, and social development of the United States during the 1800s.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Westward Expansion was driven by a desire for economic opportunities, such as farmland, mineral resources, and the fur trade.
2. The development of new transportation technologies, like steamboats and railroads, facilitated and accelerated westward migration during the 19th century.
3. The acquisition of new western lands, including the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican Cession, raised debates over the expansion of slavery and the balance of power between slave and free states.
4. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 sparked the California Gold Rush, leading to a massive influx of settlers and the rapid development of the American West.
5. The U.S. government's policies towards Native American tribes, including the Indian Removal Act and the reservation system, resulted in the displacement and cultural assimilation of many indigenous peoples.

Review Questions

• Explain how Westward Expansion was connected to the development of new transportation technologies in the 19th century (8.2 The New American Republic, 9.3 On the Move: The Transportation Revolution).
  • Westward Expansion was closely linked to the Transportation Revolution of the 19th century. The development of steamboats, railroads, and other transportation technologies made it easier and more efficient for settlers to travel and transport goods westward. Steamboats, for example, allowed for the rapid movement of people and goods along major waterways like the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, facilitating the settlement of the Great Plains and the West. Similarly, the construction of transcontinental railroads, such as the Transcontinental Railroad, connected the East Coast to the West Coast, enabling the rapid movement of people, goods, and information across the continent. These advancements in transportation infrastructure were crucial in supporting and accelerating the process of Westward Expansion during the 19th century.
• Analyze how the acquisition of new western lands, such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican Cession, contributed to the debate over the expansion of slavery and the balance of power between slave and free states (11.5 Free or Slave Soil? The Dilemma of the West).
  • The acquisition of new western lands through the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican Cession intensified the debate over the expansion of slavery and the balance of power between slave and free states. As the United States expanded westward, there was a growing concern over whether these new territories would be admitted as slave states or free states, which would shift the political and economic power between the North and the South. This debate culminated in the Compromise of 1850, which attempted to balance the interests of slave and free states, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed settlers in those territories to decide the status of slavery through popular sovereignty. However, these measures only temporarily delayed the growing tensions over the expansion of slavery, ultimately leading to the outbreak of the Civil War.
• Evaluate the impact of the U.S. government's policies towards Native American tribes, such as the Indian Removal Act and the reservation system, on the lives and cultures of indigenous peoples during the Westward Expansion (17.4 The Assault on American Indian Life and Culture).
  • The U.S. government's policies towards Native American tribes during the Westward Expansion had a devastating impact on the lives and cultures of indigenous peoples. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the eastern United States to designated 'Indian Territory' west of the Mississippi River. This resulted in the forced marches and displacement of thousands of Native Americans, such as the Trail of Tears, which led to the deaths of many. Additionally, the reservation system confined Native Americans to limited, often resource-poor, areas, disrupting their traditional ways of life and undermining their cultural practices. These policies, combined with the encroachment of settlers and the exploitation of natural resources, led to the widespread destruction of Native American communities and the assault on their way of life. The Westward Expansion came at a tremendous cost to the indigenous peoples of North America, contributing to the decline of their populations and the erosion of their cultural heritage.

Related terms

Manifest Destiny:

The belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

Louisiana Purchase:

The acquisition of 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River from France in 1803, which doubled the size of the United States.

Indian Removal Act:

A law passed in 1830 that authorized the U.S. government to negotiate treaties that exchanged Native American tribal lands in the eastern states for lands west of the Mississippi River.