Explain how westward expansion impacted American history - Essay Example

Impacts of Westward expansion of America Western Expansion of American began during the 19th century and instrumented to widen the American territory that otherwise concentrated in the current eastern states. Americans established the Manifest Destiny that would guide and justify the expansionary intention to the western territories. The notion that underlay the Manifest Destiny was that American institutions were superiors and Americans had moral obligation to spread the institutions to free people the European monarchy (Billington and Martin 6).

The initial plans for implementation process of the Manifest Destiny would involve use of nonviolent and noncoercive means. However, the process turned to be violent due to the outbreak of the Mexican war. The Western expansion of America has some social, political and economic impact in the history of the country. Politically, the expansion to the west helped in spreading the American ideologies with major support of the Democratic Party. People moved to the western states of Kentucky and Tennessee where they survived under the ideologies of the Democratic Party that subjected great support to expansion (Billington and Martin 9).

The early penetration of the Democratic Party in the areas towards the west of America confirms dominance of the party in the regions. The expansion also opened access of USA to the Atlantic and Pacific seas that linked America to other western countries like Mexico and Russia. Socially, the western expansion caused both positive and negative experiences. Positively, the passage of the Homestead Act of 1862 that encouraged people apply free 160-acre plots in the western regions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Hawaii among others, would see many Blacks from the South migrate to own lands alongside the white slave masters.

Social justice and fairness began to appear as a reality to the Black community (Billington and Martin 18). Negatively, the western expansion broke and ruined social life of Native American tribes who constituted the great population in the western sides. The communities struggled to resist the expansion and triggering war that saw displacement and killing of many Indians.Economically, western ward expansion supported expeditious completion of the Transcontinental Railway system that would facilitate trade across America, running from east to west.

According to Carlisle, the access to ports along Atlantic and Pacific oceans surrounding some of the regions bought and annexed as part of expansion boosted trade power of America (20). It was easy to access various markets through the sea transport. Expansion further west of Mississippi to lead to California after signing of treaty that led to end of the Mexican war in 1848 saw America secure a land rich in huge deposits of gold and varieties of natural resources. Work citedBillington, Ray A, and Martin Ridge.

Westward Expansion: A History of the American Frontier. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001. Print.Carlisle, Rodney P. Manifest Destiny and the Expansion of America. Santa Barbara, Calif. [u.a.: ABC-CLIO, 2007. Print.