Geographic Changes

 In 1804, Lewis & Clark left St. Louis, MO for their journey to the Pacific Ocean  They discovered new plants & animals; met new Native American tribes; found remains of a dinosaur  2 years & 4 months later, they arrived back to St. Louis; their journey helped promote western settlement

 1803—Jefferson bought Louisiana from French for $15 million  Pushed western boundary of US to Rocky Mtns.  Jefferson had vision of “empire of liberty”  Many criticized Jefferson  Country didn’t need more undeveloped land  Purchase unconstitutional

 Reasons for National Expansion  Pop. Growing rapidly  Less good farmland in east  Make country less vulnerable to foreign attack  Appealed to sense of nationalism

 In 1840’s—Combo of nationalism + expansionism = Manifest Destiny  Obvious fate– it seemed obvious to Americans that US was meant to spread ideals of democracy across continent & beyond  Inspired further expansion  1819—Spain cedes FL to US  1845—TX joins Union after gaining independence from Mexico  1846—US signs treaty with GB for Oregon Country  1846—Mexican-American War—result, US gets most of SW  1853—Gadsden Purchase—added part of AR & NM

 US Westward expansion bad for Native Americans  As US added new territory, N. Americans forced to give up lands American settlers  1830—Congress passes Indian Removal Act  Clear N. Americans from lands E of Mississippi  Move tribes to OK Territory  Some tribes went along with removal—others resisted Cherokees fought legally—said Act violated earlier treaties Worchester v. Georgia—Court upheld treaties, Jackson ignored ruling Tribes that resisted were moved by force 1838—Trail of Tears—4,000 died of disease, starvation & harsh weather

 As US expanded—3 sections of country— North, South, West—begin to develop different identities  Influenced by geography & settlers

 North  In NE, poor soil & harsh winters caused people to engage in commerce, shipbuilding & fishing for $  Other places, most Northerners farmed for a living  By mid-1800’s—many moving to cities to work in mills & factories  Immigrants coming to US move to Northern cities for jobs.

 South  Mild climate & rich soil makes agriculture the center of southern economy  Most southerners small farmers— plantation agriculture starting to become more important Plantation owners relied on slave labor to grow cash crops Not everyone owned slaves

 West  In 1840’s West was area west of Mississippi R.  Settlement of west motivated by desire for cheap, fertile land.  Search for opportunities in the west  As settlers mixed with Indians & Mexicans, new ways of life emerged.