How Did Technology Affect Territorial Expansion

After the Civil War ended many people were in hope of finding land since population was increasing. Since the West was underdeveloped and uncivilized, many decided to expand the land. First the Louisiana Purchase increased the opportunity of expansion.Then industrialization and the Homestead Act also caused many companies encouraged to move West due to the low cost of land and that the transportation was provided through the railroads. In order to complete such goals, something had to be done with the Natives since it conflicted with their home area. Before the 1860’s the native americans were living in peace until the Colonists attacked. The Western Expansion of 1860-90 greatly affected the lives of Native Americans, due to the powerful role

In the late nineteenth century there were many key technological developments the account for the American industrial growth. Technological developments were not the only thing that contributed to the rise of the American industry: raw materials, labor supply, entrepreneurs, federal government, and and an expanding domestic market. Although there were many contributing factors, technological development was one of the principal sources to industrial growth in the late-nineteenth century.

Was American expansion justified during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s? This was a debate that Americans fought over then and still now fight over now. There were two types of people some were for expansion and others were against expansion of the U.S. Both sides of the story will be well explained in this essay.

America had a dream of Manifest Destiny (O’Sullivan). Which they believe that God had set aside the entire North America for United States(Textbook). “Which later started the Westward movement”. During the time Native Americans tribes and Mexico had already had been inhabiting the area(Textbook). They would not leave without a fight.

Manifest Destiny (first developed in 1845) was the idea that during the nineteenth century, America not only could but would expand from coast to coast. The accomplishment of this idea came with the removal of indians in areas like the great plains, as well as many smaller conflicts in between the indians and the Americans. The Americans attempted to make a compromise with the indians so that they would leave peacefully, examples of this would be the offer to pay the indians in the form of supplies and annuities. The idea was a good one until Americans denied a payment in 1862 because John pope regarded the Indians as “maniacs or wild beasts ” and states that they do not deserve treaties or anything of the sort. Another big factor in the expansion of America from coast to coast was the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, not only with the people that it had brought to the west for the work, but the ease that it had provided for those who wanted to travel from the east to the west and did not have the money nor the time. The Railroad had cut down the price to travel from the east to the west by about 90% as well as cutting the time it took to make the journey by weeks.

Within the years 1800 and 1855 an issue that was making waves in the United States was whether the country should expand in size or not. Multiple events such as the Mexican-American war and the idea of “Manifest Destiny” lead to a growing discrepancy between the supporters and opponents of expansion. Although the opponents had some valid and understandable concerns with expansion, the supporters overall had a better argument.

Manifest Destiny and the Westward Expansion was made so that the Americans could expand as far as the Pacific Ocean. All though this was a benefit for the Americans, it caused the Native Americans and the Mexicans to deal with a lot of hardship. There were many political, economic, and social reasons for Manifest Destiny, but these reasons did not always have positive outcomes.

The major reasons for the United States to develop an empire in the 1800s were the closing of the American frontier, economics, religious and moral reasons, and geopolitics(Schultz,2014). The closing of the American frontier included acquiring new frontier from other countries. Americans believed that the “Wild West” frontier was so integral in shaping America, that we might require a new frontier in order to ensure the survival of its democracy.

Traveling thousands of miles through dangerous paths American pioneers took on hardships as they sought westward in hopes of a better life. The journey westward began in the early 1800s when the US exploded with new territories nearly tripling the United States' size. It all started in 1803 when the US bought the Louisiana Territory from France. Quickly, many farmers picked up their belongings and headed out west to the rich, fertile land for a fresh start. Next, Andrew Jackson invaded Florida claiming it for the US which was also another opportunity for settlers to begin a new life. Finally, the last major territory the US gained was the Pioneer Paradise, Oregon County. At this point, many people, of all different backgrounds, headed there

Throughout history, we have explored and conquered new lands, stamping the American flag into the earth and claiming it as ours — even if the rightful owners disagree. These feats have enabled us to assert ourselves throughout the world, settling communities and influencing those around us. In doing so, our ancestors refined distinct societies, adapting to the terrain and operating accordingly. Our efforts were not invariably supported, however, and disputes arose among those who were indigenous to the lands we thought ours. Thus, the Chesapeake and New England colonies developed separate societies with varying economies and social characteristics as a result of geographical resources and labor systems, despite sharing similar relations

Manifest Destiny brought an age of expansion and exploration upon the United States throughout the 1800s. The vast Great Plains were unexplored, and held lots of promise and opportunity for new communities and businesses. With the establishment of the railroad system, transportation became much more reliable and efficient, sending a wave of settlers to the West. Railroad companies also posted many advertisements that encouraged settlers to buy plots of land for reasonable prices. The railroad during this time played a key role in Western Expansion by giving people access to fertile and open land, uniting communities together, and lowering transportation costs, but inflicted cruel treatment on those who worked on the railroads.

From sea to shining sea. That line from “America the Beautiful” defines the goal of the United States in the 1840’s. But why was this the goal? What caused this drive for expansion? During the mid-19th century, Americans set their sights of land west of the Louisiana Purchase. The problem with this is was that those lands were controlled by either Mexico, Great Britain or Native American tribes. To gain this territory, the US would have to either purchase, negotiate or forcefully take it from its current owners. Americans justified their expansion west by claiming it was their Manifest Destiny, or god given right to cover and control these lands. In addition to this idea, notions of racial superiority motivated white Americans to travel west

In the second chapter of Ronald Takaki’s A Different Mirror, he begins to elaborate on the fundamental principles many settlers sought to possess: expansionism. “The whole earth is the Lord’s garden and he hath given it to the sons of men [to] increase and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it. Why then should we stand starving here for the place of habitation…and in the meantime suffer a whole continent as fruitful and convenient for the use of man to lie waste without any improvement”. In fact, these principles justified and empowered many imperialist countries to conquer lands of beneficial resources. Settlers also believed by colonizing a territory they were contributing to the improvement of the native civilization. Throughout

“Once we became an independent people it was as much a law of nature that this [control of all of North America] should become our pretension as that the Mississippi should flow to the sea” –John Quincy Adams (Henretta, p. 384). In the 1840s, Americans had a belief that God destined for them to expand their territory all the way westward to the Pacific Ocean. This idea was called Manifest Destiny. In the nineteenth century, Americans were recognized for coming together and building up one another for one cause: westward expansion. The time of Manifest Destiny was a time of true American brotherhood and comradeship. With Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk being the leading presidents of the cause during this time, it not only led to continental expansion but homicide as well. While the Americans believed they were expanding into free land, Native Americans had already settled the land centuries earlier. This led to the dark side of Manifest Destiny. Native Americans were forced to pick up their homes and resettle in areas that were less than sufficient to meet their basic needs. If Native Americans were not compliant, Americans would murder them. Although Manifest Destiny was seen as an inevitable movement among Americans and resulted in the formation of the American West in the Nineteenth century, it was truthfully an act of invasion and subjugation against peoples who had settled the land for hundreds of years earlier. Manifest Destiny led to an obvious upsurge in racial

In the nineteenth century, many Americans felt the strong desire to possess the western part of the continent. The American people felt that ist was their destiny to gain control of that land. They had an idea called Manifest dDestiny, which promoted westward expansion and made the American people feel obligated to gain possession of the wWest for the United States. Three texts, American Progress -by John Gast, Manifest Destiny, 1839 -by John O’Sullivan, and “Reporting to the President, September 23-December 31, 1806” -by Stephen Ambrose, describe the struggle of the Americans wanting to control and own the land that cannot truly be possessed.