Westward Expansion, Early 1800s

James Monroe – 5 th President

Monroe Doctrine, 1823 The American continents should not be considered for future colonization by any European powers

Nations in the Western Hemisphere were inherently different from those of Europe, republics by nature rather than monarchies

The United States would regard as a threat to its own peace and safety any attempt by European powers to impose their system on any independent state in the Western Hemisphere

The United States would not interfere in European Affairs

Settlers Move Westward Movement from the coastal states into the Midwest, Southwest, and Texas Sought economic opportunity in the form of land to own and farm

Daniel Boone In 1769 found the Cumberland Gap, linking Virginia with Kentucky Build the Wilderness Road, the main southern highway from the eastern states to the West

Daniel Boone

Overland Trails and Rivers Pioneers went west along poor wagon road in Conestoga wagons Others used the vast network of rivers to travel westward

Transportation Develops Growth of the railroads due to the steam engine Canals linked the interior to Atlantic port cities Led to the growth of an industrial economy

Roads westward Turnpikes: built by private companies that charged tolls. Usually built of stone and gravel

National Road: 80-foot wide stone road begun in 1811 and by 1852 almost 600 miles linking Maryland with Illinois

Rivers and Canals Easier and cheaper than roads Steam power increased travel with the development of steamboats

Erie Canal: 8 years to dig; 40 feet wide, 4 feet deep, 363 miles long; linked the Great Lakes with New York City

Tracks and Steam Engines The Baltimore and Ohio, 1828 was the first During the 1830s, over 3,300 miles of track laid Growth of railroads created thousands of jobs and stimulated new industries

The Cotton Gin Invented by Eli Whitney Easier way to separate the seeds from the cotton Production of cotton in the south soared – long-staple to short staple cotton Led to the spread of slavery in the “cotton kingdom” of the Deep South

(Production of Cotton Soared) One man – 50 pounds 50 man-days to seed the 50 pounds The Gin – 1 laborer could do in 1 day what took 50!

1794 – 488,000 pounds (<1% of world) 1794 – 3x to 1.6 million 1801 – 21 million 1830 – one-half world’s export 1850 – rose to 70% 1860 – 2 billion pounds