Westward Expansion Research Paper

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Some people wonder how the United States was able to become so large in size. They wonder how the country was able to acquire so much land. Well, between 1803 and 1861, the United States almost tripled in size because of what we call the Westward Expansion. In the early 1800s, the west of the United States was thousands of miles of open fertile land with forests, mountains, rivers and plains populated by native groups. But many patriotic Americans believed it was their fate to spread the idea of liberty and democracy across these lands and to civilize the lands by bringing roads, railroads, the telegram, etc. Some even say it was their duty given by God. Although it took many treaties, settlement, and wars to achieve the dream, America eventually reached their goal. This process began shortly after the first colonial settlements were recognized across the Atlantic coast. There were many major events that took place during this expansion including the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark journey, the Oregon Trail, the declaration of Texas as an official U.S. state, and so much more. The Louisiana Purchase was an extremely important event in which President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. For the United States, it provided required natural resources, space for an…show more content…
A significant group of people they encountered was the Osages and Mandans. To help with the country’s expansion, Lewis sent offered the Osages to meet president Jefferson. When they came to Jefferson, he politely explained to them about the country and their expansion. He had convinced them to relocate their tribe so Americans could move there safely. When Lewis and Clark came home, about two and a half years later, they told of the beautiful and scenic terrain they had seen. They captured peoples’ vision of the whole country, which Jefferson called “an empire for

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