The Westward Expansion

After the revolutionary war, Americans headed west to find new land and wealth. In 1803 Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the land west of the Mississippi River. – As they traveled, they found new plants and animals – They made accurate and valuable maps of the new regions – They met Native Americans and set up trade alliances Lewis and Clark

The Louisiana Purchase In 1803 the United States purchased Louisiana from France for 4 cents an acre totaling in 15 million dollars This purchase doubled the size of the United States As the nation expanded the concept of Manifest destiny formed. This meant that the nation should spread across the country, from sea to shining sea.

Westward Expansion When Europeans first arrived in the US, Native American Groups gave them food and helped them. – They taught the settlers how to grow crops, and traded furs with them. As more settlers began moving west, Native Americans found it difficult to maintain their way of life Native Americans were pushed from their land and decided to fight for control of the land. They lost many of these battles

The Trail of Tears In 1830, Andrew Jackson persuaded congress to pass the Indian Removal Act. This forced Cherokee and many other Native American groups to move into reservations in Oklahoma. Many Cherokee died on this journey which was called the “Trail of Tears”

1849 Gold Rush In 1849 James Marshall discovered gold in California. Word spread quickly and soon many men traveled west for the hopes of striking it rich. While many traveled west, only few found real gold. Many men only found fools gold.

The US Expands As the US expanded, the country grew economically. Farmers were able to grow many crops and send them east or to other countries. The forests provided wood that was used to build homes, factories, and ships. The growing land also gave more space which allowed the population to grow.