...Supported by the texts “The Way to Rainy Mountain”-N. Scott Momaday, “Chief Joseph Speaks”- Chief Joseph, “American Progress”-John Gast, I believe that there is no true history to westward expansion. In John Gast’s picture called the “American Progress” there are so many different things happening in it. Showing that he nor anyone knows really the true history of westward expansion. We’ve all gone off what we have heard about history, but what we’ve heard are all people’s opinions about it. Therefore, we have no clue as to what actually happened during westward expansion.In John Gast’s picture, there were indians and animals running, going in a different direction that the white men.There was also an angel going in the direction of which...
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...•Thomas Jefferson wrote this secret message to Congress about the Lewis & Clark expedition in 1803; what does it tell us about Jefferson(s) views of westward expansion and Native Americans? In Jefferson(s) secret message to Congress his views of westward expansion tells us that he wanted to expand westward. However, he wanted to do it in a peaceful way and not force the Indians from their land, but show the Indians ways to live better than what they are used to. This also tells us that his views were to help the Indians with farming, agriculture and other domestic matters, so they would not wander the forest for hunting. At the same time this would limit the Indians to a smaller territory and allow for the colonies to expand further west. As for the Native Americans Jefferson(s) views tell us that they can be a great trading partner with the colonies, because the Indians...
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...The purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803 opened the door to westward expansion. Thomas Jefferson purchased this extensive plot of land with the hopes of strengthening and expanding the Republic, unaware that it would have the opposite effect. Jefferson’s fateful decision to expand the United States nearly destroyed the Republic that Americans worked so hard to build. It triggered the rise of divisions amongst Americans. These small cracks continued to grow and tear at the seams of the nation. Although westward expansion between 1800 and 1848 granted many new opportunities to the American people, it also brought about tension that plagued the nation for years to come. Some historians may construe westward expansion as beneficial to the...
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...Eric Espitia Ms. Righteous English B1A 02 October 2013 American History West When hearing the words “American history,” I think straight to the building of the colonies and the war for independence from British rule or the American civil war. The westward expansion of settlements across the land toward the Pacific Ocean seems to be buried under those previous moments in American history. In 1893, Frederick J. Turner (a professor at the University of Wisconsin), wrote an article that has been said to have “. . . created as profound a change in the general attitude toward American history as any single word on the subject that has ever been spoken” (Rounds). In the article, The Significance of the frontier in American history by Frederick J. Tuner, I believe he makes the argument that the westward expansion of America was an important and pivotal period in American history due to the development and the frontier nature. The Importance of the expanding frontier according to Turner is much more than people moving, rather it is the effects it has on the evolution of social and structural characteristics that carries more significance. The word “development” is used by Turner multiple times to describe the recurrence of progression from an unsettled land to a civilization. Turner believes the most important part of American development of that era is that it isn’t a unique event but an ever-happening event. He makes this clear when he notes that “. . . American development...
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...Thesis Statement: The purchase of the Louisiana territory was an unplanned occurrence that had multiple factors other than the treaty, that lead to the final succession of the United States’ ownership of the land. Introduction: In Jefferson Buys Louisiana Territory, and the Nation Moves Westward, published in the spring of 2003, the authors Wayne T. De Cesar and Susan Page establish the idea that the Louisiana Purchase was more than just a quick deal among the top French and American Diplomats in April of 1803. And it took more to complete the Louisiana Purchase than the treaty itself. Wayne T. De Cesar and Susan Page prove this to be true with the following arguments: to fill Jefferson’s dreams of being the most powerful and prosperous,...
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...Westward Expansion was a very important piece of America’s history that helps make it what it is today. Expansionists started to take interest in California, Texas, and New Mexico. They liked territorial growth and thought these provinces would bring many useful resources. Expansionists believed in Manifest Destiny which was the belief that that God wanted the U.S. to own all of North America. Many expansionists used the Oregon Trail and the Santa Fe Trail to travel west. The Oregon Trail started in Missouri and ended in Oregon and many people used this trail in hope of a better life. The Santa Fe Trail was a famous trail in New Mexico that was used for business and trade. Other traders traveled up the Missouri River into the Rocky Mountains in search of beaver skin. In this search of the Rockies,...
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...The extent that state rights played was significant and was responsible in the outbreak of the civil war, however the issues such as slavery, Lincoln’s election, westward expansion and basic differences between north and south were also instrumental and a key factor in the outbreak of the civil war. Not just state rights but slavery also played a significant role in the outbreak of the civil war. Tension grew between the confederates and the union with slavery rights. The north wanted slavery out and the south wanted to keep them in. With this tension growing a civil war became closer and closer to out breaking. There were about three million slaves in America in 1619. The north grew out of slavery and the south did the exact opposite by depending more and more on slavery. From Yankees and confederates in the American stats in the mid – 19th century it reads, “This fundamental difference was one of the key causes of the American civil war”. Slavey was a fundamental difference because the north did not want slaves in America and the south did. This is because it was the way of life for the confederates. They did not want a anti-slavery country because number one their businesses would suffer but also the way they went about life. The south argued that the north just could not simply take away slavery and that it is typical for the union to tell the south what it should do. The south thought that the northerner’s assumed that they were better then them and they are of a high...
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...My eyes sank into the American Progress painting during class, looking at every little detail of the painting. The painting depicts Native Americans running away from the angelic-like figure. I wonder how Manifest Destiny started and what lasting effects it had. Manifest Destiny had many lasting effects on the U.S. Not only did Manifest Destiny shape the territorial expansion the U.S. had in North America, but it also came with the loss of cultural diversity and environmental degradation. When historians or teachers talk about Manifest Destiny, they praise it and only look at the positive things Manifest Destiny did. Manifest Destiny is a dark piece of the United States' history, Manifest Destiny removed Native Americans from their land, sometimes...
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...Name: Chloe Perfect Date: 3/11/23 Class: 7th Period What is Manifest Destiny and how is it important to our lives in America? Manifest Destiny is the belief that the United States was Destined by God to extend its boundaries to the Pacific Ocean. Why is this important, though? Back in the early 1800s to the mid 1850s, many Americans believed that Manifest Destiny was very important in making America. Because of this, Manifest Destiny caused many major events in that time period that helped build America into the country it is today. For instance, Manifest Destiny caused the Mormon Trail and the Mexican War, which pushed Westward expansion of the United States and led to freedom. Manifest Destiny of the Mormon Trail. For instance, “Joseph Smith’s...
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...The Effects of Immigration on the United States Economy Immigration has long been a hotly debated political issue in the United States, especially when it comes to illegal immigration. Because it is a nation of immigrants, immigration has always been very important in shaping the United States. Today, widespread immigration to the United States both legal and illegal continues to have a variety of effects. Most economic historians believe the effects of immigration have been much less harmful than commonly supposed and, in many ways, have been beneficial. Positive Economic Effects Immigration provides several economic benefits to the United States. The argument for the free movement of labor among nations is exactly the same as the argument for the free movement of labor among the sectors of the domestic economy. Suppose an economy produces only two goods, X and Y. If demand for good X picks up, the demand for labor used to produce X rises as the marginal revenue product of labor employed in the production of X increases. Labor will move out of the production of good Y if and only if its productivity is higher in X in terms of the value of output. This movement ensures efficiency. Recall the simple definition that an efficient economy produces what people want at least cost. Those who favor a looser policy believe immigrants do not displace U.S. workers but rather take jobs that Americans do not want. Immigrants serve as domestics and low-wage farm workers producing things...
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...leaders created the Federalist party in 1787 and it was backed by the wealthy. The Federalist party believed in a republic where the federal government had most of the power and should protect the interests of the country. Jefferson was at the head of the anti-federalists also known as the Democratic-Republican Party. The Democratic-Republican Party was backed by people such as small farmers, artisans, and planters. They wanted the federal government to have little involvement in their lives and to leave most of the power to the local and state governments (Flanders, 2007). B1. The Whig and Democratic Parties had many different platforms they used. The Whig Party did not want to expand westward and wanted to grow commercially within the current territory of the nation. The Whig party...
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...Over the course of learning about the Civil War, one question still looms over me. Could it be possible that both the North and South were doomed from the start to war over slavery. I would have to say that war was inevitable. The North and South would never see eye to eye as far as slavery in concerned. There are many small issues that caused the civil war, too. One of these issues were the disagreements over federal and state powers was the arguments that maybe state governments had more power than the federal governments. Many Southern states felt that the states had more power, whereas the North felt that the federal government had more power. Another of these issues was the competing economies and culture. The main competing economics was industry vs farming. The South produced cotton, rice and other agricultural whereas the North was very industrial. Westward expansion was also an issue. As America expanded and moved to the West, both the North and the South wanted control of these new colonies. There was the question of if the new states were to be free or slave. All of these issues and slavery contributed to the war....
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...not acceptable. The Native Americans were a tribe and culture that endured so much pain and suffering for years and years. Natives’ history has not been adequately bestowed upon; people do not know how many times they were tortured and killed or their lands were stolen from right underneath their feet. James W. Loewen, the author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” discusses the truth about the first Thanksgiving in his book, he says, “Presenting a controversy seems somehow radical. It invites students to come to their own conclusions. Textbook authors don’t let that happen. They see their job as presenting “facts” for children to “learn,” not encouraging them to think for themselves. Such an approach keeps students ignorant of the reasoning, arguments, and weighing of evidence that go into social science” (80). Because our country is extremely biased want to avoid any controversy, the history of Native Americans is either vaguely told or...
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...Colonizing the West 1496 Words Comparing Colonization After the establishment of the United States, explorers continued the expansion of the nation by organizing new settlements to the West. Settling a new town is an incredibly hard task. I have examined three articles by historians who discuss the experiences of two very different settlements and the task they undertook to settle new colonies in different locations for very different reasons. The Mormon settlement in Utah had a different reason for colonization than the settlement at Jamestown as shown through their financial pursuits, leadership examples, basic resources and differences in geography. One of the historians, Karen Kupperman, writes about the settlement of Jamestown. She writes that “even the most privileged [suffered] from food shortage, disease, absence of family and friends, opposition from inhabitants of the land, and sheer exhaustion” (pg. 19). Not every place is similar with the same resources. Each comes with unique characteristics and conditions. She starts off by explaining how organizing settlements in the Northern hemisphere was very different than in the Southern hemisphere. The only model the British had to follow for colonizing was South America. In the North there was no gold or silver to mine for profit nor a large number of natives to enslave. Because of these lacking traits it was difficult to find people who would finance the trip to colonize Jamestown. This brings up the most...
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...most controversial question would be what was the cause of the Mexican American war? This question on the other hand varies depending on who you talk to but I will be giving both sides a chance in this essay. Why did Tejas (Texas) decide to rebel against the Mexican government? Why did Texas decide to break away from its parent country? What were some of the concerns about annexing Texas? Some say that there was a plot by President James K. Polk. Born November 2, 1795, died June 15, 1849. Polk was the 11th President of the United States from 1845-1849. The plot by President Polk was apparently to steal land, I will be addressing this question along with plots to extend slavery. These question will be answered, sharing both sides of the argument and being completely unbiased to either side. Before getting into the Mexican American war it would be best to have some general background...
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