Reasons and Main Regions of American Expansion - Essay Example

of the of the of the American Expansion First, describe the time, reasons and main regions of American expansion The natives were forced to cede the territories in the west to the white settlers of the US. The chronological order of the States gained by the whites is provided in the sequel. In 1784, Virginia State was obtained by the settlers; thereafter, Massachusetts was ceded in 1785. Connecticut was ceded in the years 1786 and 1800. In 1787, South Carolina and in 1790, North Carolina were ceded. Thereafter, Georgia was lost to the natives in 1802. These territories comprised of a portion of Minnesota, the entire Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and a large portion of Alabama and Mississippi. Vermont joined the Union in the year 1791 as a separate State. In 1792, Kentucky was admitted to the Union; and in 1820, Maine was included (Westward Expansion). The treaty between the US and Spain of 1821 served to establish the boundary of Louisiana. Under this treaty, the boundary was to commence from the mouth of the river Sabine in the Gulf of Mexico and proceed till the west bank of the Sabine up to the thirty – second degree of north latitude. From there it was to continue along the north of the Red River, along the south bank of the Red River to the one – hundredth degree of east longitude. Subsequently, the border was to pass north of the Arkansas and then onwards to the south bank of the Arkansas. Finally, it was to pass along the forty-second degree north latitude up to the Pacific Ocean (Westward Expansion). This treaty settled the boundary issue with regard to the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and the western regions of Wyoming. The US claimed this land on the basis of its discoveries in 1792, its explorations of 1805, and settlement in 1811. In 1848, the dispute with Canada, regarding the boundary between the latter and Washington and Idaho was resolved (Westward Expansion). The expansion took place in the directions of the south, west, and the declining Spanish empire’s new territories. In 1819, Spain ceded Florida to the US, under the requirements of the Adams – Onis Treaty. This Treaty clearly demarcated Louisiana and Spanish Texas. This border passed through the Rocky Mountains, along the coast of the Arkansas River, and along the southern borders of the states of Idaho and Oregon (Johnson and Woloch). This Treaty played a major role in determining the borders of the United States, along the land adjoining the Pacific Ocean. Second, what is the effect of American expansion to Americans and local people in 1820s-1840s. Such as productive technology, agriculture, culture and education. In the period between 1820 and 1840, there was a westward movement of the people, in the US, which had a profound effect on agriculture, education, culture and productive technology. The inexorable expansion towards the west provided the settlers with large tracts of land, which in turn provided a tremendous boost to the agricultural economy (Mckelson). The forcible expulsion of the Indians was supported by the whites, who were unable to countenance any opposition to their rule. Thus, incidents such as the Trail of Tears, wherein the Cherokee were almost exterminated, due to being forcibly exiled from their lands, became commonplace. The beneficiaries were the white laborers and farmers, who achieved a degree of prosperity at the cost of the Indians (Mckelson). The West witnessed a large number of battles, conflicts, armed combats, and massacres. The huge herds of wild buffalo that used to roam the plains were systematically slaughtered by the whites, so that their numbers were reduced to near extinction. The Indian tribes had chiefly depended on these buffalos, and the whites destroyed them, in order to indirectly destroy the Indians. Consequently, the native tribes lost their independence and were forced to change their religion and culture, and depend on the government for everything (Diversity in the Age of Expansion). Eventually, they were forced to live in reservations. The expansion of the whites was at its zenith in the year 1820, and there were hundreds of thousands of white settlers in the states of Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. As the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes, had converted to Christianity, they were termed the Five Civilized Tribes. These tribes were impoverished and on the verge of starvation, on account of the forcible occupation of their lands by the white settlers. In order to survive, these tribes had adopted the religion and culture of the whites (Diversity in the Age of Expansion). The Natives understood that unless they integrated into white society, they could not survive. The west was a land of woods and wilderness. However, the undaunted white settlers forayed into this hostile country and took up farming or hunting as a means to eke out a living. Thus, the early settlers planted grain, fruit, vegetables; maintained livestock, like cattle and pigs; searched the woods for deer, honey and wild turkey; and fished extensively in the rivers and streams. Large areas of land were acquired by speculators, who waited till the land appreciated in cost, before selling it. Thereafter, these speculators moved farther west, in search of new areas to acquire, exploit and sell (Westward Expansion and Regional Differences). The farmers were the pioneers, and they were followed by doctors, editors, lawyers, mechanics, politicians and preachers. Nevertheless, the mainstay of the westward expansion was the farmers. The latter settled on the land, with the intention that their children would continue in the same place. In order to remain firmly entrenched, they constructed strong dwellings of brick or frame. They also constructed huge barns, for storing hay and housing their livestock (Westward Expansion and Regional Differences). These farmers were truly innovative, and they maintained improved livestock, plowed the land with admirable skill and used seed that was highly productive. In order to optimally utilize their farm produce, they constructed distilleries, flour mills and sawmills. Realizing the importance of efficient transportation, both for the economy as well as defense, they constructed high quality roads. In addition, they constructed schools and churches, in order to maintain the cultural traditions (Westward Expansion and Regional Differences). The efforts of these early settlers wrought near miraculous changes in the place of their dwelling. For instance, from an insignificant trading village, Chicago, Illinois emerged as one of the richest and largest cities in the US (Westward Expansion and Regional Differences). In the year 1833, a portion of the Mexican Republic, namely, Texas refused to continue as a part of Coahuila; and declared independence. A large proportion of its population included people who had emigrated from the US. In 1835, its State Constitution was abolished; and in March, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico (Westward Expansion). Third, the consequence of American expansion The unprecedented rise in economic growth was of great benefit to all, especially the poor. As a consequence, democratic principles became firmly entrenched. This westward expansion of the Americans pushed the Indians out of their lands. The death and destruction dealt out to the Indians by the Americans was terrible in the extreme, and large groups of Indians died of exhaustion and starvation (Mckelson). From their initial settlements in the east, the white settlers crossed the American continent and penetrated into the west. This proved to be irrevocable downfall of the Native Americans. A large number of these Indians were slaughtered, and there were many incidents like the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, wherein the indigenous people were massacred, indiscriminately. After these wars, the reservation system was substantially strengthened, and the Indians were deprived of their lands and placed in these Indian reservations. The indigenous people were left with no option than to embrace Christianity and the culture of the whites (Zeman 109). However, the integration of the west with the rest of the US ushered in industrialization, efficient transport, mining and tourism. The unprecedented growth in the American urban population, in the 1820s, resulted in the rapid development of American cities. This was the outcome of the commercialization of agriculture. The US experienced the expansionism, during this period, which saw serious negotiations between the US and Britain over foreign policy issues. By the year 1815, consensus was arrived at amongst the American politicians over foreign policy issues. In the 1817, Rush – Bagot Convention it was decided that Britain had to reduce its naval forces on the Great Lakes. Furthermore, the US – Canadian border was required to be established clearly from Minnesota to the Rocky Mountains (Johnson and Woloch). Fourth, what countries are related to this expansion, describe Mexicans, Indians of southwest and Americans in both the North and the South who were interested in the post -1848 acquisitions. In the early 1820s, many white settlers moved across the borders of Louisiana State and entered Texas, which was under the control of Mexico. There they developed cotton plantations, and ensured the annexation of Texas. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, resulted in the inclusion of 80,000 members of ethnic groups in the population of the US. These ethnic groups consisted of a small number of wealthy landowners, and a large number of artisans, ranch hands, and farmers. Subsequently, these people were subjected to violent crime, land frauds, land litigation, and forced land sales, by the white settlers; which effectively deprived them of their lands and wealth (Diversity in the Age of Expansion). In the year 1833, a portion of the Mexican Republic, namely, Texas refused to continue as a part of Coahuila; and declared independence. A large proportion of its population included people who had emigrated from the US. In 1835, its State Constitution was abolished; and in March, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico (Westward Expansion). Texas was annexed by the US in 1845, and after the cessation of the war with Mexico in 1848, this territory was home to approximately 82,500 Mexicans. New Mexico had the largest number of Mexicans, namely 60, 000, followed by Texas with 14,000, California with 7,500 and Arizona with 1,000 (Birdsall and Florin). Oregon, in 1846 and many states of the Southwest, in 1848 joined the Union. This extended the borders of the United States of America to the Pacific Ocean. Discovery of gold, in 1848, in California, further worsened the condition of the Native Americans. The whites forced them to give up their lands, and the national government enacted the Homestead Act of 1862. This Act provided 160 acres of land to the white migrants in the Great Plains region (Diversity in the Age of Expansion). Subsequently, in 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed. However, by the year 1850, the proportion of Mexicans in California and Texas reduced to less than 10% of the total population of these states. A number of reasons were present for this rapid reduction in the percentage of the Mexican inhabitants of these regions. East Texas emerged as the new western frontier for southern settlements, and gold was discovered in the year 1848 in California. The consequence was a large influx of white prospectors and settlers into these regions (Birdsall and Florin). However, some regions managed to maintain a greater proportion of Hispanic people for a few more years. Fifth, conclusion Western expansion was chiefly driven by the growth in population and technological innovation. The latter resulted in vast transportation networks, which effectively reduced the cost of transportation. Consequently, large areas of the American continent became accessible, at highly reduced cost. This promoted migration on a very large scale, and it had been estimated that such migration, in the absence of this development, would have been just half of what it was. Furthermore, techniques of land improvement technology, made it possible to accumulate and develop land (What Caused Westward Expansion In The United States?). The US expansion process of the 19th century played a major role in transforming the United States, into a major economy in the world. It was a great Westward expansion in the US, which resulted in the geographical distribution of the US population. The westward migration of the whites was due to the decrease in transportation costs (Vandenbroucke). At the same time, the growth in the population, further enhanced investment in fertile lands. The principal reasons for the westward expansion were first, growth in the population of the eastern states. Second, the availability of fertile and cheap land in the West. Third, the unlimited opportunity for achieving prosperity, due to developments, such as the Gold Rush in California, farming and logging. Fourth, the availability of transport that was fast and cheap. Fifth, the firm belief among the white settlers that such expansion would prove to be of immense benefit to their nation. Works Cited Birdsall, Stephen S and John Florin. The Southwest Border Area. 5 May 2008. 17 June 2010 . Diversity in the Age of Expansion. 25 February 2005. 9 June 2010 . Johnson, Paul E. and Nancy Woloch. "United States History." Microsoft Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008. Mckelson. Jacksonian Democracy. 27 January 2010. 17 June 2010 . Vandenbroucke, Guillaume. The U.S. Westward Expansion. November 2006. 9 June 2010 . Westward Expansion. 16 June 2010 . Westward Expansion and Regional Differences. 5 April 2008. 17 June 2010 . What Caused Westward Expansion In The United States? 29 February 2008. 17 June 2010 . Zeman, Scott C. Chronology of the American West: from 23,000 B.C.E through the Twentieth Century . ABC - CLIO, 2002. Read More