Factors Contributing to Westward Expansion Flashcards
how many states in 1803
13 states
how many states in 1850
40 states
how many people needed for a state
60,000
how many people in 1800 in America
5.3 million
how many people born abroad
1/8
how many people lived in places with more than 5,000 inhabitants
> 5%
what was the government land policy 10
1875 Land Ordinance established rules for survey and sale of land
New north west territories
Township - 6 square miles
divided into 36 section
1 square mile = 640 miles
1800- 387,000 settlers west of Appalachian mountains
1840- 7 million
1850- 1:2 americans lived west of the Appalachians
1900- census 68% lived west of the Appalachians
who did congress initially favour the sale of land to - land policy
sale of land to wealthy speculators
what was the minimum purchase in 1796 - land policy
640 acres at $2 per acre
congress land policy minimum purchase over time 1800-1832
1800 - 320 acres 1804 - 160 acres 1820 - 80 acres 1832 - 40 acres price fell to $1 per acre
Government role in exploration 8
- most new land remained unexplored 1800
- federal government supported expeditions
- president Thomas Jefferson
- lewis and clark 1804-6 to chart the lands acquired in the -Louisiana purchase - 48 strong team
- clark was an experienced frontiersmen
- lewis/presidents secretary journeyed 4,000 miles and returned with maps
- Jefferson persuaded congress to fund expedition
Oregon 5
- disputed territory jointly occupied by Britain and the US. Agreed in 1818
- divided between both countries in 1846
- britain north of the 49th parallel - US south
- Oregon territory established in 1848
- large included future states of Idaho Oregon Washington and a part of Montana
who was Stephen H Long 5 - government
- Major Long led 5 expeditions 1819-20
- covered 26,000 miles
- Nebraska and Colorado to the Rocky Mountains
- Declared the Great Plains were totally unsuitable for settlement
- his report actually discouraged settlement in Great Plains
who was President Thomas Jefferson - government
- wanted to expand the ‘empire of liberty’ from sea to sea
- sent James Monroe to make a lucky Louisiana purchase 1803
- supported Lewis and Clark
- 1806-7 military expeditions sent out by Jefferson led by Lieutenant Pike explored Great Plains and Rocky Mountains - Colorado and Santa Fe
the Louisiana Purchase 1803 -government
- James Monroe sent to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans and West Florida
- Had previously been owned by Spain who had signed a treaty with the French
- Napoleon Bonaparte had abandoned all ambitions in the US and sold them all the Louisiana territory -a lucky acquisition
- 828,000 miles at less than 3 cents per acre
- doubled the size of the US
what year was the Louisiana purchase
1803
how many miles were purchased in the Louisiana purchase
828,000 miles at less than 3 cents per acre
who was President James Polk 7 - government
- 1844 Presidential election - polk won
- campaigned on an expansionist ticket
- ambitious to gain more territory in the west. To push the US border to the Pacific Coast. He wanted to take all of Oregon
- supported manifest destiny
- this was the idea that the US had a god given right to colonise the whole of America and spread WASP ideals
- believed it was a christian and moral duty
- appeared in the magazine democratic review
when was the Timber and Culture act
1873
what was the Timber and Culture act
gave settlers a further 160 acres of free land if 40 acres were planted with trees in the first 10 years
problematic due to wind and draught
when was the Desert Land act
1877
what was the Desert Land act
gave settlers the right to buy 640 acres cheaply in areas of draught if land irrigated in two years
problematic due to expense of irrigation
when was the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
February 1848 ratified by the senate in May
what was the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 2 - government
- mexican war led to the treaty of Guadalupe hidalgo in February 1848 ratified by the senate in May
- US paid Mexico $15 million for 500,000 square miles of territory (2/5 of present US land)
territory gained in Guadalupe Hidalgo 7
California New Mexico Nevada Utah Colorado Wyoming Arizona
US reasons for US victory in Mexico 5
- bigger population
- superior artillery
- pool of junior officers Washington post trained
- enthusiastic volunteers southern and western
- naval supremacy
Mexico reasons for US victory in Mexico 2
- more soldiers but poorly led
- badly equipped
what was the role go the government in expanding the west 10
- exploration
- land purchase
- territorial expansion
- florida
- texas
- oregon
- gadsden purchase
- war with Mexico
- communications and mail
- acts to promote settlement
communications and mail 8
- poineer settlers moved west by wagon. moved in ones or twos family groups
- travel was hard
- westerners wanted to export and import from east
- travel development was crucial
- roads canals and railways
- transcontinental telegraph completed in 1861
- federal government promoted the post office which became one of the largest employers in the world 30,000 employs by 1860. allowed fast communications between east and west
- pony express crossed the central plains in 10 days
how many employees did the post office employ
30,000
when was the transcontinental telegraph completed
1861
how quickly did the pony express cross the central plains
10 days
when was the Homestead act
1862
what was the Homestead act 1862 - government 6
- settlers could claim 160 acres, free once they had lived on it for 5 years
- congress through it would encourage poor and landless from east to settle
- costs to move were too great
- those who did move were already farmers
- 160 acres were insufficient for self sufficiency
- land was in dried conditions eg in Kansas no rain fell between January 1859 and November 1860
when was the Missouri compromise
1860