Introduction To Westward Expansion

In the early part of the 19th century, as the barely decades-old America began expanding its borders to include more and more territory to the west, there was a marked increase in the desire and drive of its people to move westward and make a new beginning in the “wild blue yonder” of the largely unspoiled nation, ushering in the era of Westward Expansion.

This era is marked both by its positives, such as the times of great economic prosperity and the heroic and adventurous westward surge of the American people, as well as by its negatives, embodied in large part by the forced and often brutal removal of Native Americans from their lands, and by the continued practice of slavery in many states, both established and new.

Political disputes between North and South inevitably ensued, each demanding equal representation (by number of states) in Congress. Then literally overnight, America doubled in size with the Louisiana Purchase, eventually adding thirteen more new states to the union. Captains and heroes both, Lewis and Clark explored and mapped much of this new frontier.

Pioneers would expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean, following the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest and the more southerly California Trail, blazing these trails for other settlers to follow for decades to come.

Their journey fraught with many hardships along the way—disease, hunger, poverty, inclement weather, inhospitable land, even death—the American people persevered, never losing sight of what history records as their greatest asset: their indomitable spirit.

-Colin

Politics

During the era of Westward Expansion, many landmark events occurred that significantly altered the political landscape of early 19th century America. Significant events include: the removal of Native Americans from the territories located west of the Appalachian Mountains, the migration of European-Americans and others to the unsettled Western Frontier, and the addition of the states Missouri and Maine through the Missouri Compromise. Two important political figures of the time were Davy Crockett and Andrew Jackson, both advocates of expanding land rights in the West, and of abolishing the Federal Second Bank.

In 1819, there were a total of 22 American States. With an even number of states, Congress was equally represented. In 1820, the Territory of Missouri sought to join the nation as the 23rd state. This created a political uproar since it would result in an unequal number of states, which at the time were divided into “free” states in the North and “slave” states in the South. Missouri wanted to be considered a Southern slave state, sparking opposition from the Northern states. The North did not want a higher number of slave states than free states, and Congress did not want an uneven number of states for fear of uneven representation. It was proposed that a new northern state be created in order to reestablish equality. The solution was that Maine, a former part of Massachusetts, would become an independent state. With Maine added as the 24th state, the North and South were again equally represented in Congress.

Davy Crockett was perhaps the first political figure that appeared on the scene during the Western Expansion. He created a “grassroots” campaign that appealed to those who had migrated to the West, and also to Southern slave states. He campaigned to limit the political power of the wealthy bankers and corporations in the East, and established a more democratic agenda that would essentially give rights to the “common man.” He opposed the six-member Supreme Court that held power over Congress, and also opposed the Second Federal Bank. Crockett’s campaign across the West sparked many settlers’ interests, and ultimately established a rapport among farmers, settlers and others who were not pleased with the current government.

Andrew Jackson was by far the most influential political figure during the era of Westward Expansion. Serving as a general during the War of 1812, Jackson’s humble, down-home nature attracted Southerners and those who had migrated to the West. He was a slave-owner himself and campaigned to ease the land-rights restrictions that existed at the time. When James Monroe advised European-Americans to abandon their expansion to the West, it was Andrew Jackson who voiced his opposition and sided with the Westerners. Through his desire for a strong central government, his status a highly respected though modest “man of the people,” and his belief in granting land rights to Westerners, Jackson quickly gained numerous supporters who became known as “Jacksonian Democrats.” Jackson won the election of 1828 by a landslide, and the overall voter turnout was higher than any election in history. While in office, he worked to expand the power of the Executive Branch by limiting the power of Congress. Also, he shared views similar to those of Davy Crockett, and successfully ended the Charter of the Second Bank, reasoning that its main purpose was to channel taxpayer money to the wealthy and large corporations.

-Cat

Lewis and Clark

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are best known for their expedition across the Louisiana territory and exploring the vast land mass. They traveled from the Mississippi River to the West Coast and back. The expedition was called “The Corps of Discovery”, and was President Thomas Jefferson's visionary project to explore the American West.

After purchasing the Louisiana Territory from the French, President Jefferson, who had no clue how much land had been bought, asked Congress to appropriate a $2,500 budget for an expedition to explore the vast land. It began in May of 1804 and ended in September of 1806. During this expedition Lewis and Clark met many Indian tribes, some of whom they had to fight, some with whom they were able to ally themselves to aid in their expedition.

During their travels they met an Indian woman, Sacajawea, who served them as a guide. The group returned with important information about the new western territory and the people who lived on it, as well as information about natural features such as rivers, mountains, plants and animals. The mapping of the North American continent owes much to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

-Ashish

The Trail of Tears

From the earliest European colonization of the Americas, Native Americans were forced out of their territories. Following America’s declaration of independence from England, and the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from the French, the government began urging their citizens to move and settle west of the Mississippi. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was one of the attempts made by President Andrew Jackson to remove Native Americans from their lands. This act entailed a simple exchange of land in the east for land west of the Mississippi.

However, one obstacle that had to be overcome was the occupation of these western lands by other Native American tribes. The tribes were to be moved into an area designated “Indian Territory”, located in present-day Oklahoma and its neighboring states. At this time the “Five Civilized Tribes”--Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee--lived east of the Mississippi and were forced to move into Indian Territory. This brutal exile came to be known as “The Trail of Tears.” The Native Americans traveled approximately 1000 miles on foot, a dead-man’s-walk during which they suffered from starvation, disease and exposure to a new and unfamiliar environment. It is estimated that between 2000 and 4000 of the 16,000 migrating Cherokees died by the hand of the federal government.

Picture taken from:
http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/trailoftears.jpg
Bibliography
Rozema, Vicki. Voices from The Trail of Tears. Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, 2004.
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/precivilwar/section3.rhtml

-Alma

The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail on the North American continent was established by fur traders and explorers. It was the most extensive overland route used in the Westward Expansion of the United States. Settlers, ranchers and others followed the Trail through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon in a migration to the Pacific Northwest. They traveled the great distance in wagons, on horseback and on foot in order to establish new farms and businesses in the Oregon territory. At the time it was the only efficient way for settlers with their supplies and livestock to cross the Rocky Mountains.

The first mass travel on the Oregon Trail was undertaken by 900 immigrants during the Great Migration of 1843. This mass migration had many problems including shortages of food, water and wood. Furthermore, there were many deaths resulting from Indian attacks, disease and firearm accidents. By 1883 railroads crisscrossed the continent, replacing the Oregon Trail and making it obsolete.

-Alexa

The Economy

First Bank of the United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Westward migration during the early 19th century was supported by the government so that settlers could farm more arable land and prosper. The eastern coast did not offer the fertile, flat land that was better suited for agriculture. With the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803, there was much unsettled land to be farmed. Farmers were buying acres of land from speculators who had bought huge parcels of land to sell for a large profit. President Thomas Jefferson supported this endeavor because he wanted the American West to be settled by farmers. Farmland was at a premium, and the government, backed by the First Bank of the United States, wanted to support the economy.

With the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793, cotton production in the Southern states of Mississippi and Alabama was booming. By 1820, these states were producing half of the cotton in the United States. Farmers were using the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to transport their wheat and corn to New Orleans where it could be easily shipped to other places and traded. The economy was at its peak during this time. Westward Expansion created a booming economy in the agriculture and land markets, with the state banks willing to accept money in all forms, including silver and gold, to help farmers purchase land.

Unfortunately, the First Bank of the United States was chartered for only twenty years; in 1811, President James Madison did not renew the charter. Soon after the War of 1812, the United States was heavily in debt and European demand for American goods was declining. This caused a strain on farmers whose livelihood depended upon exporting their wheat and corn. Eventually, the banks had to foreclose on many farms because the farmers did not have the means to pay their loans.

The land speculators held on to land that was once worth as much as $69 an acre but had fallen to $2 an acre. This resulted in many going bankrupt. By 1816, President Madison agreed to charter the bank for another twenty years and the Second Bank of the United States was opened. Immediately, the bank requested that all states collect their debts and halt all credit to settlers who wanted to begin farming. Prices of agricultural commodities dropped, people lost their jobs, and the economy was at an all time low. At this point, the Panic of 1819 was well under way and westward migration came to a temporary halt.

-Lorenia

California

For a variety of different reasons, people sought to move to westward. Despite varying motives to travel west, there was always one common goal: a new beginning. The westward drive lasted roughly from 1806 to 1912. Two of the major parties of immigrants to settle the west were the Donner Party and the Stephens Party. In 1846 the Donner party began their trek from Illinois. They carried with them a sort of ‘guidebook’ which unfortunately did not contain very accurate advice. This misfortune led to the group getting lost and becoming stuck in the snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. As a consequence, along the way certain desperate members of the party resorted to cannibalism in order to stay alive.

The Stephens party was led by Elisha Stephens, who was elected because of his experience as a mountain man and a beaver hunter in the Pacific Northwest. Stephens guided ten families from present-day Council Bluffs, Iowa to California in 1844. This expedition became most famous for being the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevadas.

The primary means of expansion to California at this time was travel via the California Trail. Stretching nearly 2000 miles, the California Trail was used by western settlers traveling from Mississippi to California. The Trail was used predominantly between 1841 and 1869. Despite the sometimes harsh conditions encountered during the settling the west, roughly 3000 people reached California between 1840 and 1848.

The Gold Rush of 1848 caused an even greater boom in Californian population. Discovered by Henry William Bigler at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California, the unexpected discovery of gold led to an inrush of immigrants, with numbers nearing 300,000. The scores of settlers who came to look for gold became known as ‘Forty-Niners’, signifying the year 1849.

In conclusion, one may say that California was a beautiful, rich target for western civilization and today it remains a primary tourist attraction to both native and foreign visitors.

The information was gathered in part from an article in Sparknotes.com and Wikipedia.com, the pictures are all from

google.com:

www.sparknotes.com/history/american/westwardexpansion/section8.rhtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephens-Townsend-Murphy_Party

pictures: http://www.sites.si.edu/images/exhibits/Art%20of%20the%20Stamp/images/CA-Gold-Rush_jpg.jpg

A special thanks to Katy for providing the picture in the banner at the top of the blog! -Administration

-Katy

And for the LAST MINUTE addition to our blog......Texas

This oil booming state of the south, Texas has been on a unique journey to become the 28th U.S state. Texas wasn’t always apart of the U.S, in fact, Texas became apart of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence ended in 1821. The Mexican government then permitted immigration to Texas, it is estimated that there were 7,800 Mexicans and 30,000 Anglos were living in Texas at that time. As the Mexican government transitioned from a federalist model to centralism, Texans became increasing unhappy with the Mexican Government. Texans came together and launched the Texas Revolution in October of 1835 to break away from the Mexican government and establish independence. This proved to be no easy task as Mexico’s dictator Santa Anna marched his powerful army into Texas ready for battle. The famous battle at the Alamo, in San Antonio, proved to be a bittersweet victory for the Mexican army killing 184 Texans including Texas icons Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie. However, Texans used this as motivation during the Battle of San Jacinto shouting “Remember the Alamo”! The Texans were victorious; capturing Santa Anna forced the Mexican army to retreat. On May 14th, 1836 Texas became an independent country, “The Republic of Texas”. Through the Treat of Velasco with Mexico, Texas encompasses an area that included all present day Texas boundaries, as well as parts from present day Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming. For the next nine years Texas governed itself. Finally, in 1845, with the support of U.S President John Tyler, Texas was annexed to the United States, becoming the 28th U.S state.