WESTWARD EXPANSION: Was it Destiny to Move West?

DESTINY Motives

Technological Influences

Conflicts

April 2017

DESTINY

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Was It Destiny to Move West? How Justifiable Were the U.S.’s Actions?

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In the 19th century, a popular term arose by the name of “Manifest Destiny.” Coined by newspaperman John o'Sullivan, the term means “obvious fate” and many Americans at the time held this idea as the justification for westward expansion. However, the westward expansion of the United States was not justifiable because of the harm Americans caused to other cultures in the process. There were many factors that supported the westward movement of settlers. As such, the United States was able to take harsh action in the west, causing destruction to the people already living there.

DESTINY

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What Motivated Americans to Expand West? What were the push and pull factors?

On December 5, 1848, President James K. Polk gave a speech about the abundance of gold in California. In his speech, Polk claimed that “Nearly the whole of the male population of the country have gone [west] to the gold districts” (Source E). The California Gold Rush served as a huge pull factor for settlers in the mid-1800s. On a wider scale, the California Gold Rush was just another opportunity for citizens in the East to build a new life in the West. The idea of an opportunity for new lives drew huge amounts of settlers to the West.

Another major factor that persuaded settlers to move west was the Homestead Act of 1862. The act allowed settlers to secure land -- up to 160 acres -- on public domain (Source A). Any person, including women and free slaves, who was the head of the family and at least 21 years old could fill out a preemption form and claim land from the government (Source A).

Under manifest destiny and pushed and pulled by several factors, settlers surged westward throughout the 1800s. However, the United States’ eagerness to expand west caused harm to many people.

DESTINY

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What technology supported westward expansion? How did settlers get to the West?

During the mid 1800s, many new technologies were created that promoted westward expansion. One of these fascinating new technologies was the locomotive. The earliest locomotives “were built with fixed wheels, which worked well on straight tracks” (Source D). The high speed of train travel appealed to many settlers looking to move westward. However, one downfall of the locomotive was that others had to lay tracks across the country before the train could travel.

Another new technology that helped the westward movement of settlers was the steamboat. Steamboats were a top choice for many settlers because they were significantly faster than any other water vehicle as they could go at “the astounding speed of up to 5 miles per hour” (Source D). The steamboats were extremely efficient on the rivers following the westward trail. However, the steamboat could not travel on land which proved to be an obstacle to some settlers.

These new technologies made the journey westward much easier for many settlers. As such, the technologies such as the locomotive and the steamboat indirectly caused more violence that took place as the United States rushed to settle the West.

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What conflicts arose from westward expansion? What were the consequences of “Manifest Destiny?”

Americans attempted to spread their ideals westward, however, in doing so, they caused the destruction of innocent groups and cultures. Indians like Tecumseh and the Shawnee tribe were willing to fight for their land against the Americans, resulting in the deaths of many people. As stated in Source A, “Tecumseh’s War was a conflict between the United States and a Native American confederacy.” As a result of America’s belief in manifest destiny, a war began against Indian tribes which eventually led the Indians to side with one of the largest powerhouses in the

world, Great Britain. Such a war was avoidable if the Americans didn’t feel the need to expand onto Indian land. Additionally, John Gast’s famous painting, known as “American Progress,” depicts an angel representing purity and justice leading the American settlers westward (Source C). The picture also depicts Indians being removed from their land unlawfully and unfairly by the Americans (Source C). The Americans’ stubborn loyalty to the idea of manifest destiny led to conflicts and the consequent destruction of many groups, especially the Indians. In all, the westward expansion of the United States and its

idea of “Manifest Destiny” ultimately caused much violence in the West.