Westward Expansion and Reform
New Territory
Between 1801 and 1861, exploration was encouraged as America expanded its territory.
New US Territories Added After 1801:
Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson bought land from France, which doubled the size of the United States
In the Lewis and Clark expedition, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Louisiana Purchase and the Oregon Territory from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean
Florida
Spain gave Florida to the United States through a treaty
Texas
Texas was added to the United States after it became an independent republic
Oregon
The Oregon Territory was divided by the United States and Great Britain, and the southern part of the territory became the state of Oregon
California
War with Mexico resulted in California and the southwest territory becoming part of the United States
Westward Migration
Westward migration was influenced by geography and economic opportunities.
Factors that Influenced Westward Movement:
Overpopulation in the eastern states
Availability of cheap, fertile land in the west
Economic opportunity, such as gold (California Gold Rush), logging, farming, freedom (for runaway slaves) in the west
Cheaper and faster transportation, such as rivers, canals, and steamboats made it easier to move
Knowledge of trails made it easier to travel
Belief in the right of Manifest Destiny—the idea that expansion was for the good of the country and was the right of the country
Impact on American Indians
Westward expansion had severe effects on American Indians that lived in the area.
Impact on American Indians:
The discovery of gold on American Indian land led to the removal of the Cherokee Indians in Georgia
In the Supreme Court Case Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831), the Cherokee wanted to stop laws passed that took away their rights and land, but the Supreme Case did not listen to the Cherokee
The American Indian Removal Act allowed the government to relocate American Indians to the West
As part of the American Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation and other tribes were forced to relocate to an area in present-day Oklahoma along the “Trail of Tears”
Inventors and Entrepreneurs
Terms to Know:
Inventor: a person who is the first to think of or make something
Entrepreneur: a person who organizes resources to bring a new or better good or service to market in hopes of earning a profit
Cotton Gin
Invented by Eli Whitney
It increased the production of cotton and increased the need for slave labor to cultivate and pick the cotton
Reaper
Jo Anderson, an enslaved African American, and Cyrus McCormick invented the reaper
McCormick was an entrepreneur who brought the reaper to market
The reaper increased the productivity of farmers
Steamboat
It was improved by the entrepreneur Robert Fulton
It provided faster river transportation connecting various parts of the US
Abolitionist Movement
The abolitionists worked to end slavery.
Abolitionist Movement:
Most abolitionists demanded immediate freeing of enslaved African Americans
Abolitionists believed that slavery was morally wrong, cruel, and a violation of the principles of democracy
Harriet Tubman led hundreds of enslaved African Americans to freedom along the Underground Railroad, a network of antislavery safe houses
William Lloyd Garrison wrote the Liberator abolitionist newspaper and worked for the immediate emancipation of all enslaved African Americans
Frederick Douglass wrote the North Star abolitionist newspaper and worked for rights for African Americans and women to better their lives
Women's Suffrage
The women’s suffrage movement helped women gain equal rights. Many women met at the Seneca Falls Convention to discuss women’s rights.
Women’s Suffrage Movement:
In the Declaration of Sentiments, supporters of the movement declared that “All men and women are created equal”
Supporters believed that women were deprived of basic rights, such as the right to vote, to be educated, to have equal opportunities in jobs, and to own property
Isabella (Sojourner) Truth, a former enslaved African American, was a nationally known advocate for equality and justice
Susan B. Anthony was an advocate to gain voting rights for women and equal rights for all
Elizabeth Cady Stanton played a leadership role in the women’s rights movement