Chapter 2- Western Expansion Flashcards
What was the generally defined as the western frontier of the USA in 1800?
The western frontier had barely advanced the Appalachian mountains.
Which country controlled most of what is the modern day USA?
Spain
What proportion of Americans lived west of the Appalachians in 1810? How had this changed by 1840?
1/7 of Americans lived west of the Appalachian mountains in 1810. By 1840, nearly 1/2 did.
What factors encouraged western expansion?
Economic factors:
- Fertile western land, much of which was covered with forest, attracted farmers and soon western farmers were producing surplus quantities of corps, (wheat in the northwest and cotton in the southwest).
- Western agricultural competition made it increasingly difficult for farmers in other states to thrive.
- Wasteful methods of cultivation left exhausted fields first in the tobacco states of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, then throughout the cotton producing regions of the Carolinas and Georgia.
Federal government Action:
- Congress reduced the cost of buying acres of land in the West. The minimum price per acre steadily fell to about a dollar an acre.
- President Thomas Jefferson was anxious to expand the ‘empire of liberty’—> Louisiana Purchase
- Acquisition of territory such as Florida
- The Preemption Act of 1841
Briefly describe the events that led to the Louisiana purchase
- President Thomas Jefferson was anxious to expand the ‘empire of liberty’.
- In 1800, Napoleon concluded a treaty with Spain, providing the return of Louisiana
- Jefferson was concerned with having powerful France as their neighbour.
- In 1802, he sent James Monroe to France with instructions to offer 10 million dollars for New Orleans and West Florida.
- Napoleon abandoned his designs on America and offered the USA all of Louisiana. Monroe signed a treaty in April 1803 to acquire Louisiana for 15 million dollars.
- Jefferson was embarrassed to spend this much money on Louisiana but the senate approved it and in December 1803, Louisiana became part of the USA.
Which country did the USA declare war with in 1812? What caused the war? Was it successful?
In 1812, the USA declared war on Britain due to the problem of American rights at sea arising from Britain’s naval blockade of continental Europe. Congressmen were eager to drive out the British from Canada to open up more land for American settlers. US attempts to seize canada failed and Napoleon’s defeat in 1814 ensured that Britain could focus more on the American war. The treaty of Ghent on December 1814 brought end to the war.
What situation were Anglo-American relations in after the war ended in 1815?
US relations improved and the Convention of 1818 settled the more outstanding issue between the USA and Canada, the 49th parallel, which became the boundary of the two in the west. Britain and the US could not agree to the borders in Oregon and thus the region was left open for joint occupancy by both of the citizens.
Why did the USA want to annex Florida?
- Florida might act as a base for attacks into US territory by Spain or other foreign powers.
- Southerners were worried that Florida was becoming a refuge for runaway slaves.
US politicians claimed that west Florida was part of the Louisiana purchase. Spain disagreed.
What were the terms of the 1819 Adams-Onís treaty?
- Spain ceded Florida to the USA
- Western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase was agreed.
- USA gave up its claims to Texas but acquired Spain’s claim to the Oregon territory north of the 44nd parallel.
What did the Preemption Act of 1841 dictate?
Gave squatters a prior right to purchase lands on which they had settled.
Which two states produced half of America’s cotton?
Mississippi and Alabama
Briefly describe Abraham Lincoln’s family history
His father was born in Virginia in 1778 and in 1782 he was taken to Kentucky where Abraham was born in 1809. In 1816 the Lincolns moved to Indiana. In 1831, Abraham moved to Illinois.
Define the “West’ and the ‘Far West’
The west was the region between the Appalachians and the Mississippi. The Far West was beyond the Mississippi and was devoid of white settlers.
What was the situation in the USA in 1840?
- Mexico controlled a vast swathe of territory in the southwest.
- The USA still hadn’t incorporated the new Republic of Texas into the Union.
- Oregon remained a source of dispute with Britain.
- Westward expansion was on the rise.
What political impact did the growth of western states have?
Increased rivalry between the east and the west and the issue of whether the west should be open to slavery came up.
