In 1803, Thomas Jefferson and the United States government purchased land from France, which during this time was led by Napoleon Bonaparte, for $15 million dollars. This was a plot of land on the western side of the Mississippi River in America that was a…
Westward Expansion Essay Examples and Topics
Essay Examples
Essay Topics
Brief overview
Native Americans and the American West In 1844, John L. O’Sullivan, editor of the Democratic Review, composed the phrase the “Manifest Destiny” as American westward expansion to the Pacific and cultural superiority of “inferior people.” One group of these “inferior people” were Native Americans, who…
The United States were destined to Expand westward since the U.S.A was gaining people and the U.S. needed more land to benefit the U.S.As growing population, The Westward expansion connected the U.S. to the “Great Western Ocean’ allowing more trade, according to Senator Lewis Cass,…
Some of the challenges that settlers had while moving west was they ran out of food a lot easier since they had more people. Wagons broke down and didn’t have anything to fix it. Also, they didn’t know exactly where they were. They would follow…
Westward expansion during the nineteenth century played a vital role in American history. The west provided more economic chances for America. Unfortunately this expansion came with consequences, especially to the lives of Native Americans. Although moving westward provided more opportunities to Americans, Natives were devasted…
While most people believe that the idea of Manifest Destiny was primarily beneficial for American citizens, it ultimately did more harm than good, as many conflicts with the land, people, and animals arose with Native Americans. White settlers moving west found that the Native Americans…
Westward Expansion During the mid-1800s, relocating to the west was a popular movement for American citizens. Many people migrated out west in hopes of a new, better life where they could cultivate their own land and live peacefully. Life on the frontier was trial and…
Migration has been a highly significant force in the development of America, without migration America wouldn’t be what it is today. The westward expansion helped stimulate the American economy in an abundant amount of ways. One of the main reasons people migrated west was because…
From the beginning of time, there has been violence. We experience it everyday. Simply put violence is something that exists in order to cause physical harm, intending to hurt, or kill someone. People are fascinated by violence. Elements of violence exist in almost all parts…
American History: From the Expansion to Urbanization Filled with rich changes and shifts in culture, American history is relatively young but fascinating. From the early dawn of the 19th century where areas west of the Mississippi River were being explored to the growing pains of…
Remember when Americans sent elite soldiers westward, destroying everything in their wake? Well that’s extremely inaccurate. We all learned about Manifest Destiny in school, we just learned about it from a singular viewpoint. Most people think about a senseless slaughter of Native Americans, now that’s…
The founding adopt had visualize the United States as a bastion of frankness that would cover territory reaching all the way across the North American continuous. During the next decade, the population in Texas increased from approximately 30,000 to 50,000 in 1835 to a total…
Critique on Columbus The Western Hemisphere cannot get enough of Christopher Columbus. In his name, there have been 14 cities, 5 counties, and a national holiday. Many recall his image with pride, for he discovered the Americas. But yet with just the smallest amount of…
Best topics on Westward Expansion
The Westward Expansion can be pinpointed to the period between 1801 and 1861. It all began with Thomas Jefferson’s treaty negotiation for the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. In 1803,
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Jefferson bought the territory from France for $15 million and with it, the young nation was instantly doubled in size.
The land started at the Canadian border and expanded to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. This important purchase had a tremendous impact on Native Americans.
The massive geographical, as well as cultural expansion, was prompted by the idea that USA should expand throughout the entire continent. And it still lasts today, with attempts to populate even the most remote areas of the region.
The impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans is widely discussed in academic papers and journals. Due to the tremendous consequences that came from this purchase, the Westward Expansion essay topics come in all forms, creating new points to tackle and new arguments to elaborate on for students.
But, why is this such a trending topic among students?
The Westward Expansion is one of the key periods in the industry of US and the reason behind major cultural encounters. It triggered the industrial growth of established and new cities and left a huge mark on the daily life of the citizens.
Start behind the goal for this expansion – the idea to provide enough land and sustain the ideal population of virtuous yeomen. This makes the expansion of the US a defining theme of American history.
It’s no wonder that this topic creates numerous essay questions. Did the western frontier offer upward mobility and independence for all? How was slavery handled at this time?
Before 1840, nearly 40% of the US’s population was based in the trans-Appalachian West. Many of these people left their homes in the East to search for better economic opportunities, following the trail blazed by Lewis and Clark. You’ll read about Lewis and Clark in several of the Westward Expansion essay examples on this website.
These same people associated freedom with land ownership and westward migration. And while in Europe, factory workers formed a dependent and permanent working class, the western frontier of the US offered the ‘dream and possibility of independence’. As a result, in 1843, a thousand pioneers took part in the “Great Emigration”.
As you can see, many things happened in this period. Missouri Compromised attempted to resolve the question of slavery in 1820 and admitted some states as slave states or free states. But, this didn’t apply to the newly purchased territories, so slavery remained a big issue.
These are all controversial and data-rich topics that students enjoy writing about – and professors love assigning. Even so, it can be hard to tackle such an eventful period, especially since the things that happened during that time were often unexpected and carried big importance in the country’s future.
A lot of what happened at that point impacted the US that we see today.
If you’re struggling to decide what part of this period you’ll tackle, which points you’ll argue, or how you’ll start your essay introduction, you’ve come to the right place. Here you can find quality samples of many different things that happened during the Westward Expansion, controversial essay ideas that you could expand on, and things that you might not know just yet.
Date
1801 - 1861
Location
USA
Main Information
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson negotiated a treaty to purchase the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. As a result, this young nation was doubled in size. The acquired land went from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River.
In 1804, the President organized an expedition of authors and experts, who explored the resources and geography of the area. Further territorial expansion was promoted, with the idea that the USA should cover the entire continent.
Notable Characters
President Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark
Society
As new states joined the Union, new towns emerged and the already-established ones grew. The westward expansion brought new populations and industries across the continent.
Major Achievements
With the treaty of 1803, the nation’s size was nearly doubled. This was the beginning of a massive geographical and cultural expansion. The expansion in the West still lasts today, with the attempts to populate the region’s most remote areas.
Why Is This Topic Important?
The westward expansion, as one of the most important periods in U.S. history, resulted in major cultural encounters. They impacted the daily life of the citizens, and triggered the industrial growth of new and established cities.
