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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise helped there become a balance between slave states and non-slave states. It outlawed slavery above the 30 60 latitude line in the remainder of the Louisiana Territory. Because of this many people were not happy and started to move West because of more freedom. This later led the way for the start of the Civil War and an ongoing disagreement about slavery in the North and South. -
Indian Removal Acts
President Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, giving him power to grant Native American land to settlers west of the Mississippi River. He believed that the Native Americans were "wasting" land so he decided to push them out and give the land to settlers. The removal of these tribes freed up more farming land and allowed settlers to expand West.
The Native Americans being pushed out were forced to move even farther west to what is today Oklahoma causing loss of identity, culture and people. -
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was first made by fur traders that were traveling to the West. It was later found by Indigenous people and later found by Pioneers. This trail was then used by many early settlers that were traveling to the West. It paved the way for expansion. They were often in big groups on the trail because it was dangerous. Over 20,000 people on their way to the West because of growing, disease and being crushed by wagons. -
Manifest Destiny
The term "Manifest Destiny" was first used by John Louis O'Sullivan to try and promote the annexation of Texas and Oregon territories. Many people believed that term meant that god chose them to control the western hemisphere. So they did exactly that and moved to the western territories. This resulted in Native Americans being forced to move elsewhere and a huge population spike in the West. -
California Gold Rush
When James Marshall first discovered gold in California, word got out and many people started to fled West to try and find it. They were referred to as the "forty niners" because that was the year they got there and they were seeking big fortunes. Population started to rapidly increase in the West. Because so many people were now in the West, economics started to improve and diversity was increasing. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty helped the U.S gain a ton of new territories such as California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and other portions of states. This was huge because they gained new places to settle and extended our boundaries near the Pacific Ocean. It also brought an official end to the Mexican-American war, allowing us to start settling in those new territories. -
The Compromise of 1850
As a result of the compromise, California was a free state, Utah and New Mexico could decide for themselves and the fugitive slave act was amended. This went against the Missouri Compromise and allowed for slavery to be spread throughout the West. This caused many people to leave their homes in the East to try and go pursue new economic opportunities in the West, many of them to California because of the freedom. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraka Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed for migrants to own land in the new territories that the act made. It was very controversial between slave states and non slave states, and now that territory in the north allowed popular sovereignty people were outraged. They fled and expanded to new territories, but this also led to violence and protests (Bleeding Kansas). -
The Homestead Act
President Lincoln signed The Homestead Act into law in 1862. This act allowed any adult or intended citizen to claim 160 acres of government land for a minimal fee and five years of residence on that land. While living on that land, residents were required to try and improve it.
Most of the land that was claimed was in Western Territory. States such as Montana, North Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska were the most successful. This act allowed for U.S economics to expand and increase. -
Pacific Railroad Act
This act supported the building of a railroad from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. The railroad helped promote westward expansion because it cut down travel to the western territories. It also allowed for settlers to trade goods from farther distances. It helped tie the country together and help them to connect from East to West Coast.