Westward Expansion

Manifest Destiny

1800

Many Americans believed that they had the right to expand west and take the whole continent. This concept was considered the Manifest Destiny. Since many Americans believed in the Destiny, millions of people started to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains near the beginning of the 1800s. This is one reason why expansion was inevitable because many Americans believed that expansion was a right.

Industrialization

1800

In the early 1800s industrialization began in the country. This dragged more people into the country, and the original states were eventually going to be to small too support everyone, that is why settlers began moving west.

Louisiana Purchase

Apr 30, 1803

This purchase almost doubled the size of the US and provided more resources and land for settlers. This sparked an interest in expansion because it made the US realize how much more land helped.

Steamboat on the Mississippi River

1811

In 1811 the first steamboat was placed on the Mississippi River. This steamboat really helped with transportation which made westward expansion easier. Since there was more transportation there was a great chance of more westward expansion

First Railroad

1830

The first railroad as created in 1830 and it was a great and quick way for transportation. This also influenced westward expansion because it made it easier to expand by transportation.

Oregon Trail

1843

In 1843 the Oregon trail was found and it was a trail for travelers that ran from the Missouri River to Oregon. This encouraged more people to move west because it was another good route to transport things.

California Gold Rush

Jan 24, 1848

The first gold was found in California on January 1st, 1848. This sparked mining for gold and lead over 300,000 people to come to California. This event made expansion inevitable because of new resources being found that would create money.