Geographic Changes In 1804 Lewis Clark left St

Geographic Changes

In 1804, Lewis & Clark left St. Louis, MO for their journey to the Pacific Ocean They discovered new plants & animals; met new Native American tribes; found remains of a dinosaur 2 years & 4 months later, they arrived back to St. Louis; their journey helped promote western settlement

1803—Jefferson bought Louisiana from French for $15 million Pushed western boundary of US to Rocky Mtns. Jefferson had vision of “empire of liberty” Many criticized Jefferson Country didn’t need more undeveloped land Purchase unconstitutional

Reasons for National Expansion Pop. Growing rapidly Less good farmland in east Make country less vulnerable to foreign attack Appealed to sense of nationalism

In 1840’s—Combo of nationalism + expansionism = Manifest Destiny Obvious fate– it seemed obvious to Americans that US was meant to spread ideals of democracy across continent & beyond Inspired further expansion 1819—Spain cedes FL to US 1845—TX joins Union after gaining independence from Mexico 1846—US signs treaty with GB for Oregon Country 1846—Mexican-American War—result, US gets most of SW 1853—Gadsden Purchase—added part of AR & NM

US Westward expansion bad for Native Americans As US added new territory, N. Americans forced to give up lands American settlers 1830—Congress passes Indian Removal Act Clear N. Americans from lands E of Mississippi Move tribes to OK Territory Some tribes went along with removal—others resisted Cherokees fought legally—said Act violated earlier treaties Worchester v. Georgia—Court upheld treaties, Jackson ignored ruling Tribes that resisted were moved by force 1838—Trail of Tears— 4, 000 died of disease, starvation & harsh weather

As US expanded— 3 sections of country— North, South, West—begin to develop different identities Influenced by geography & settlers

North In NE, poor soil & harsh winters caused people to engage in commerce, shipbuilding & fishing for $ Other places, most Northerners farmed for a living By mid-1800’s—many moving to cities to work in mills & factories Immigrants coming to US move to Northern cities for jobs.

South Mild climate & rich soil makes agriculture the center of southern economy Most southerners small farmers— plantation agriculture starting to become more important Plantation owners relied on slave labor to grow cash crops Not everyone owned slaves

West In 1840’s West was area west of Mississippi R. Settlement of west motivated by desire for cheap, fertile land. Search for opportunities in the west As settlers mixed with Indians & Mexicans, new ways of life emerged.