Westward Expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Westward Expansion - Essay Example At this time, America reached the idea of exploring its boundaries up to the shores of the Pacific. Leaders, as well as politicians of the then government used the phrase, â€Å"Manifest destiny,† to present an explanation it was the mission and destiny of the United State to extend its boundaries by act of moving westward. By then, the initial 13 American colonies had grown; there was also an increased desire for acquiring new land. The Westward Expansion entailed various sub-phenomena: The Expedition of Lewis and Clark, the Act of Homestead, the concept of Gold Rush, the Trail of Oregon, and the famous Transcontinental Railroad. All these concepts changed the life of thousands of Americans. People started shifting to the west for land, power, gold, and wealth. Some peoples’ dreams were fulfilled, although often people abandoned the West desperately. Native Americans are intertwined with the Westward Expansion’s historical events. Sometimes encounters between th e Native Americans and those moving West were at times positive and in other times disastrous; was not a great idea for some. Unfortunately, negative encounters emerged from misunderstood values of the involved groups cultures. Work Cited: Billington, Ray A., and Ridge, Martine. Westward Expansion: A history of the American Frontier. 6th ed. Library of Congress cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2001. (pp. 17-46). Quay, Sara E. Westward Expansion. Library of Congress cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2002. 19th C. American Westward Expansion. Accessed 4 Dec. 2011. (pp. 3-8). from http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/hstryidx.htm Concerning the phenomenon of Lewis and Clark Expedition, President Thomas Jefferson, in 1803, purchased the Territory of Louisiana, for $15 million from France. By embracing the Act of Expedition, the nation of America registered a growth of approximately 1 million miles square; between the regions of Mississippi to Rockies, as well as between the Gulf of Mexico an d Canada. President Jefferson sent Corp’s of Discovery by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, in an attempt of obtaining a reliable water route form the Pacific as well as the nation gains an exploration of new territory. In 1862, The Homestead Act was signed in by Abraham Lincoln, in an effort of motivating people to proceed to the west and tend new lands and to take effect on the 1st of January 1863. The Act of Homestead provided about 160 acres to people. Every â€Å"homesteader† had to pay a fee of $10 for filing. Thereafter, they had to occupy the land and establish homes. The ownership was in effect, so long as the land was to be occupied and cultivated for a period of five years. About 270 million acres of land got claimed as well as settled per The Homestead Act. Gold was discovered in January 1848, on the estate referred to as John Sutter in California. In the same year, the findings of the treasurer, gold, was validated by President James Polk; the Gold Rush started. Those who proceeded to the west in search for gold, were termed; the â€Å"forty-niners† (49ers), since many abandoned their homes within the course of the year, 1849. Incidentally, others joined the gold region in 1848 and thus, were referred to as the 48ers. Consequently, California emerged a populous state following the Gold Rush. The United States laid thousands of track miles in 1835 that is in the eastern part. Trains eased the shipping of goods; it also made the cost of shipping go down and the process was quick. There was the emergence of towns and factories started to be established along the route of the railroad. Native Americans