Positive And Negative Effects Of Western Expansion Essay

The western expansion had a large impact on the United States. Although it had a positive impact on the country as they gained an economic growth, it had a negative impact on the Native Americans who had experienced a decrease in population.

Western expansion began in 1803 with Thomas Jefferson purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million as the U.S. population increased drastically. “...from around 5 million people in 1800 to more than 23 million by 1850,” (History.com) According to History.com, the purchase of Louisiana Territory gave them another 828,000 square miles, which stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. Thomas Jefferson believed that the expansion was going to be the key to the nation’s success.

For example, on the website, Britannica, it says, “New territories gave the country access to greater natural resources and the Pacific trade.” Being able to have access to greater natural resources can help the country to gain more money since they have more goods to trade for. While exploring the west, miners discovered gold, silver, and copper, which attracted many people to the west. Also, because of the new land they had gained, they built better railroads, which allowed farmers to sell their goods in markets like the national and international markets. Farmers also had an advantage with more land as they could grow more crops and harvest more. In the late nineteenth century, they invented new machines that help the farmers with the speed of planting and harvesting crops. For instance, “New agricultural machinery allowed farmers to increase crop yields with less labor.” (Khan Academy) Gaining the west land helped United State experience an economic