Manifest Destiny Westward Expansion Westward Expansion RevolutionWar of

Manifest Destiny

Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion Revolution/War of 1812 wins right to expand Gradual process: Northwest Ordinance, LA Purchase, Mexican-American War, Oregon purchase. Unknown territory God had ordained man to expand Negatives to expansion: too spread out Ultimate Question: slavery

Question # 1 STATE AN ARGUMENT WHY AMERICA SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT EXPAND WEST.

Agricultural Innovation New tools and techniques in agriculture made moving West and starting a farm much easier. Jethro Wood: iron-bladed plow John Deere: steel-bladed plow Cyrus Mc. Cormick: mechanical reaper Greater amount to harvest, much less effort. Easier to plow and begin planting on previously-unplanted fields.

Question #2 WHAT NEW AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS HELPED FUEL THE MOVE WEST?

Overland Trails West: 1840 -1860

Trails West Early mountainmen (Kit Carson), hunters, trappers carve out paths to the West. Oregon Trail California Trail Santa Fe Trail Typical trip West from St. Louis took five to six months, averaging 15 -20 miles/day. Problems along the way: Donner party. Wrong turn leads to 41 deaths. Remaining members resort to cannibalism.

Mormon Trail Unlike others in search of land/money, Mormons travel west for religious freedom. After their leader, Joseph Smith, was murdered by a mob, Brigham Young took the group west along the Mormon Trail to Salt Lake City, UT.

Native Americans Early travelers found very little attacks from Natives. As number of people moving west grew, attacks became more rampant. Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, etc. Began to fight over limited resources: food, shelter, clothing, tools, etc. Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851) 8 Native American groups agreed to specific boundaries, U. S. promised them possession for life.

Question #3 DESCRIBE SETTLER/NATIVE RELATIONS DURING THE ERA OF WESTWARD EXPANSION.

Manifest Destiny Populations of “western” states more than doubled By 1837, U. S. was 26 states now “Our manifest destiny is to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which God has gives us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and self-government. ”