Westward Expansion.

?
  • Created by: cieran_10
  • Created on: 09-01-18 20:35

Westward Expansion.

Causes

  • Tension grew in America over Britain's constant interference there, for example: tax and trade regulations and Britain outlawing migration into the Northwest Territory.
  • America gained independence from Britain in 1783 and after this westward expansion abruptly.
  • The Northwest Ordinance (1787) was an agreed ordinance that the Northwest Territory (gained from Britain) will be cut into states and that these will be admitted into the USA/Union. Also, Ohio was the first of these.
  • The USA purchased the Louisiana territory from France in 1803 and this covered over 800,000 square miles of land (the boundaries were not clear.) 15 states were then and eventually will be formed from this.
  • For American people Westward Expansion was seen as an opportunity for freedom, independence and opportunity and this belief came from Thomas Jefferson (who had power from 1801-1809) who also further believed that Westward Expansion for farming would generate a healthy and virtuous pollution of people.
  • Construction of the East Coast to Illinois National Road (that would be 620 miles long) began in 1811.
  • The Eerie Canal opened in 1825 and this connected New York to the Great Lakes via the 353 mile long steamboat (invented in 1807) canal.
  • The mechanical grain reaper was invented in 1831 and this allowed farmers to harvest crops more efficiently.
  • Plantations were established in the South of the USA in the 17th century and these harvested the following: sugar, tobacco and cotton.
  • The mechanical cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1793.

Effects

  • The USA was declared themselves independent in 1776 and they then fought the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) to secure their independence for the USA.
  • The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 when Britain regarded the USA's independence.
  • They then gained the Northwest Territory from Britain.
  • The Northwest Ordinance (1787) established a system of establishing states into the Union from then on in.
  • The Louisiana purchase in 1803 then encouraged westward migration; as, more land was available to be settled upon and this was known, meaning people did migrate to do so.
  • The Louisiana purchase also gave the USA control of the Mississippi River and this easy trade route attracted people to settle near there (in the west) to generate money from the significant trade route.
  • The beliefs of Thomas Jefferson would have influenced people to go west to encourage all of the positive things mentioned to actually occur for them and their country.
  • The newly founded transport system linked farmers (who had gone west) to the Eastern markets that they knew and this was a polling factor that would have attracted these developers towards the west at the time.
  • The new farming technology pulled people west where they could use their new technology on new farm land that had lots of space, compared to the many times used and limited farmland of the east.
  • The slave trade created plantations, such as: cotton plantations that began to go into the west of America and these would have lead to its expansion; as, this was an early form of industry there that would have lead to other industries (such as: farming) to go there, as it  would have been known to be industrialised and therefore good for industries to settle in.
  • The development of the cotton gin allowed the cotton industry to thrive and therefore expand into the west of the USA. The increase in the popularity (through ease) of cotton would have also lead to larger plantations (meaning more expansion) as well as generating new plantations.

Overall summary

The Louisiana Purchase gave the US a basis for trade and through this expansion whilst also establishing the USA's power and confidence in the world by making the large statement of purchasing a large chunk of land from an already established nation (France) showing the other nations their current and continued wealth and power. 

Comments

No comments have yet been made