Westward Expansion
"...the right of our manifest destiny to over spread to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given to us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federative development of the self government entrusted to us. It is right such as that of the tree to the space of air and the earth suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of growth" .....John.L O'Sullivan Manifest Destiny can be described as a phenomen that created America's history, a movement that would embody American beliefs and American culture, it implied imperialistic expansion that the Americans believed was there right, this right led to hardships, several wars and hostilities between countries and also between people occupying the American land. Though this destiny also led to new lives, comradery and development it achieved the ultimate goal of possession. Manifest Destiny was the philosophy that created a nation.In the year of 1800 the West to coin an old phrase was an 'unknown frontier' to the Americans who had settled upon the East Coast. The West was a mystery blocked by a French colony by the name of Louisiana. America was under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson who in the true spirit of
The first railroad construction began in 1862, though progress only began to be made from 1866 when supplies were more readily available. It was this "legitimate possession that convinced thousands of settlers to move westward in search of the fulfilled dream of the United States. The United States decided to end the war by capturing Mexico City and after battles at Veracruz, Cerro Gordo, Conteras, and Churubusco, Mexico City fell to the United States on 14th September 1847. (To become a State of the Union a population of 60,000 must be reached). In the space of seventy years the United States had accomplished a centuries worth of achievements, and in the true spirit of 'Manifest Destiny' they had quadrupled their size by the means of purchase, war and exploration. The Americans soon outnumbered the Mexicans and some were calling for annexation by the USA. In 1921 the Mexicans drove the Spaniards from the continent and declared Texas to be a Mexican State. A large incentive to Westward movement came in the form of the 1862 Homestead Laws. Indians were removed from land that was ready to be settled in order to make the land more attractive to settlers, the Indians were moved to land designated especially for them, until the white man wanted expansion and the Indians would be moved again. The question of slavery comes up in context to westward expansion as it causes disruption within the union and hatred between states and political parties. This perhaps is the starting point of hostilities between the Mexicans and the Americans, which would later develop into the Mexican American War. Despite the United States victories against the Mexican armies and the naval blockade success, Mexico refused to acknowledge defeat. Jefferson's planed expedition continued and under the leadership of Lewis and Clarke the exploration of the newly acquired West began, the expedition covered 4,000 miles and all lands beyond Louisiana to the Pacific were claimed for America. The call of Westward migration was largely related to the economic situation of the East and in times of hardships or depression the West seemed to be a form of escape the first example of this occurred in 1806 when business restrictions in the East caused economic problems, this wave of migration consequently resulted in the additional States of Louisiana(1812), Indiana(1816), Mississippi(1817), Illinois(1818) and Alabama(1819) to the union of the United States. There was a fear that the admission of Missouri, in which slavery was legal to the union would enable and encourage slavery in future states in the end a compromised settlement was achieved in which slavery was legal within Missouri, but prohibited in all other states created out of the Louisiana purchase above a latitude 3630'.
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Acceptance Essays
