what were the origins and course of american western expansion

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What was the western expansion of the United States?

Western Expansion (page 1 of 2) Treasures of American History During the 1800s, the United States expanded westward, across the Mississippi River and eventually to the Pacific Ocean. These western lands, already inhabited for centuries, were purchased, won, and seized outright from Indian tribes and other nations.

What led to the westward expansion?

Westward Expansion Westward expansion, the 19th-century movement of settlers into the American West, began with the Louisiana Purchase and was fueled by the Gold Rush, the Oregon Trail and a belief in "manifest destiny."

What was the expansion of America in the 1800s?

Expansion of America. In the spring of 1803, the western boundary of the United States had reached the Mississippi River, and the original thirteen states had expanded to seventeen with the admission of Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792), Tennessee (1796), and Ohio (1803). By the end of the year, the size of the country had doubled with...

How did the United States of America begin?

The early days of American history began with the original 13 colonies on the East Coast followed by the American Revolution, then the birth of a new country, the United States of America, in 1776. During the mid-1800s, the country began expanding westward.

What was the American western expansion?

United States Westward Expansion Expansion of the United States moved steadily westward from the late 18th to the mid 19th centuries. This territorial movement displaced most of the Native American peoples who lived in those lands for thousands of years before the arrival of European colonists.

What were the 3 major events that allowed expansion westward?

The California Gold Rush was a major factor in expansion west of the Mississippi. That westward expansion was greatly aided by the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, and passage of the Homestead Act in 1862.

What events were part of the westward expansion?

Westward Expansion Timeline: Behind America's Push WestWhen Was the Westward Expansion? ... 1803: Louisiana Purchase. ... 1805: Lewis & Clark Expedition. ... 1843: Great Migration via the Oregon Trail. ... 1845: Texas Statehood. ... 1847: Mormons Settle Utah. ... 1848: California Gold Rush Begins. ... 1850: California Statehood.More items...

Which three factors were key to westward movement?

Land, mining, and improved transportation by rail brought settlers to the American West during the Gilded Age.

Where did the Mormons go?

Fleeing violence and religious persecution, the Mormons left their settlement in Illinois and headed west in search of a new homeland. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, they traversed more than 1,300 miles west through the wilderness, crossing the Rocky Mountains and stopping in what is now Utah. Seeking an isolated place to call home, they opted to stop in the Great Salt Lake Valley, which they decided would be their promised land. By the end of the year, around 2,000 Mormons had settled in the area.

When did Texas become a state?

Texas officially became a state in 1845. In 1844, the Republic of Texas entered into a Treaty of Annexation with the United States, laying the groundwork for statehood. In 1845, Congress passed a joint resolution in favor of annexing Texas, which was approved by voters in the then-republic, now state.

How many people traveled the Oregon Trail?

In 1843, close to 1,000 people joined together to traverse the Oregon Trail via a wagon train, a feat that required going over the treacherous Rocky Mountains. They began in Independence, Missouri and made it all the way to Oregon Country, which still belonged to England. Their approximately 2,000-mile journey was a success, a fact that surprised many people who did not think the group would be able to safely navigate the long journey. They settled the area and were followed by thousands more over the next few years.

How many acres were claimed by the Homestead Act of 1862?

With the passing of the Homestead Act of 1862, people were eligible to claim up to 160 acres of land in the west. After residing on the land for five years and making improvements at that time, the land would be given to those who settled it. Many people rushed west to claim their land and establish a homestead. Approximately 500 million acres were assigned to those who made claims under this law between 1862 and 1904. About 80 million of those acres went to homesteaders; the rest went to business interests such as cattlemen, timbermen, railroads, miners, and speculators.

When did North Dakota and South Dakota become states?

The Dakota Territory was split into two parts in 1889. Both North Dakota and South Dakota became states in 1889. A vast area, this part of the country was among the last places to be settled before the westward expansion timeline drew to a close.

When did California become a state?

California officially became a state in 1850, just two years after being ceded to the United States by Mexico via the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Unlike other states in the west, California was granted statehood without first having been a territory.

Where was the gold rush?

Gold was discovered in Northern California, spurring thousands of people to find their way to the west coast in search of riches. Prior to the gold rush, fewer than 1,000 people lived in California. So many people flocked to the area that there were around 100,000 people there by the time 1849 drew to a close. The gold rush continued, peaking in 1852 then declining until it ended in 1857.

Why did the pioneers move west?

From the earliest days of European settlement on the Atlantic Coast, pioneers began moving west not just to trade but to live and raise families. This is known as Westward Expansion. Of course, American Indians were already occupying those western lands, setting up conflict situations.

How did Europeans influence the Midwest?

The arrival of Europeans on the continent had an impact on the Midwest long before permanent settlers came. French and English colonies along the Atlantic Coast displaced eastern American Indian tribes who were forced west to compete with existing tribes. The earliest French and English these tribes encountered were not settlers competing for lands fur trappers and traders. They brought with them manufactured goods — blankets, cookware, knives, guns — to exchange for beaver, deer and other skins that sold for high prices in Europe.

What tribes settled in Iowa in the 19th century?

The other major tribe as American settlement began to put direct pressure Iowa lands in the 19th C. were the Sioux across the northern regions of future Iowa. The Sioux were the last to relocate out of the state in 1851.

What tribes did the French and English fight for?

As the French and English battled for control the Atlantic Coast and Canada, they made allegiances with tribes. The French clashed with the Meskwaki (sometimes mistakenly called the Fox) and their Sac allies who were forced south from their homelands in Wisconsin and Michigan into eastern Iowa.

How much did the government sell land in the 1800s?

In brief, the government land was first sold for $1.25 an acre to speculators. In the 1850s, over 10 percent of all land...

What did the French and English tribes bring to Europe?

They brought with them manufactured goods — blankets, cookware, knives, guns — to exchange for beaver, deer and other skins that sold for high prices in Europe.

Where did the Cree Indians live?

The American Indian man is a member of the Cree, who were based along the northwest coast. Today, members of the Cree tribe primarily live in Montana and throughout north and west Canada...

What was the Westward expansion of the United States?

Thomas Jefferson negotiated a treaty with France in which the United States paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory – 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River – effectively doubling the size of the young nation. The lands acquired stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. Jefferson later owned that he had “stretched the Constitution until it cracked” to acquire Louisiana. As soon as the treaty was signed, he sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with their Corps of Discovery to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. They returned, with their mission completed, in 1806. American artists explored this new territory and chronicled the settlement of the frontier: landscapes extolling the nation's geographic wonders from Niagara Falls to the Grand Canyon drove and documented westward expansion.

When did the American artists return to the frontier?

They returned, with their mission completed, in 1806. American artists explored this new territory and chronicled the settlement of the frontier: landscapes extolling the nation's geographic wonders from Niagara Falls to the Grand Canyon drove and documented westward expansion.

Who was the first person to find the Pacific Ocean?

Jefferson later owned that he had “stretched the Constitution until it cracked” to acquire Louisiana. As soon as the treaty was signed, he sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with their Corps of Discovery to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. They returned, with their mission completed, in 1806.

What was the expansion of the United States in 1803?

Expansion of America. In the spring of 1803, the western boundary of the United States had reached the Mississippi River, and the original thirteen states had expanded to seventeen with the admission of Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792), Tennessee (1796), and Ohio (1803). By the end of the year, the size of the country had doubled with ...

When did Texas become a state?

Texas, which won its independence from Mexico in 1836, was admitted to the Union in 1845. As a result of war with Mexico (1846–48), almost all of the Southwest, including the remainder of Texas, New Mexico, and California, was ceded to the United States. Previous Slavery in the New Lands.

What was the Westward expansion?

Westward expansion: economic development. In the late nineteenth century, the West developed into a modern agricultural machine--at the expense of farmers.

How did the US government help the Westward Expansion?

The US government also helped westward expansion by granting land to railroad companies and extending telegraph wires across the country. After the Civil War, the dream of independent farms remained, but the reality was more complex.

Why did railroad monopolies charge so high shipping rates?

Railroad monopolies charged shipping rates so high that in some cases it was cheaper for farmers to burn their crops for fuel than to ship them to market. Farm machinery and fertilizer were also subject to steep markups. All of these factors combined to drive farmers into debt and bankruptcy.

What was Thomas Jefferson's ideal environment?

When Thomas Jefferson imagined the ideal environment for the republic to thrive, he pictured a country made up of small farms. Independent farmers would make an honest living tilling the soil, and in doing so, they would become virtuous citizens.

How did the government fund the extension of railroads?

The government funded the extension of railroads by giving Native Americans' land to the railroads. If the railroad corporations, whose stock was owned by rich people, could bulid a railroad for less money than the land was worth, they could profit on the exchange, thereby making their rich stockholders even richer.

When crop prices were high, did farmers do well?

When crop prices were high, the farmers did well. But if prices dropped, the farmers were in trouble. And in the late nineteenth century, farmers were in trouble. To some extent, they were the victims of their own success: the more they produced, the less it was worth.

How many acres of land did the Homestead Act give to the US government?

Hundreds of thousands of people obtained land through the Homestead Act: through it, the US government transferred more than 270 million acres of public lands into private hands.