Westward Expansion and Growth

Overview

This lecture covers the westward expansion of the United States between 1820 and 1849, highlighting territorial growth, political changes, economic developments, and major social reforms.

Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny

• Settlers moved west over the Appalachians, settling in territories like Texas, California, and Oregon.
• The U.S. acquired land from Mexico and Britain, expanding to the Pacific coast.
• Manifest Destiny was the belief that the U.S. should control all of North America, driving expansion.
• The Oregon dispute was settled by Britain giving land south of the 49th parallel to the U.S. in 1846.
• Texas was annexed in 1845 after a revolt against Mexico; the Mexican War (1846-1848) led to more land for the U.S.
• The Gadsden Purchase (1853) completed the southern U.S. border, except Alaska and Hawaii.
• Expansion displaced Native Americans, leading to conflict and forced relocations.

Economic Developments

• Expansion helped the U.S. become a leading agricultural nation with inventions like the cotton gin and reaper.
• Gold discovered in California in 1848 spurred migration and economic growth.
• Factories and mechanical manufacturing increased production, mainly in the East.
• Innovations in transportation—steamboats, canals (notably the Erie Canal), and railways—made shipping goods faster.
• The telegraph accelerated communication, and an improved postal system supported growth.

Political Changes and Jacksonian Democracy

• Growing western populations led to new states and increased political activism for common interests.
• Andrew Jackson, elected in 1828, championed the "common man" and reduced elite eastern influence.
• Jackson established the spoils system and opposed the second Bank of the United States.
• The tariff and nullification crisis tested state vs. federal power; Jackson enforced federal authority.
• The Democratic Party formed under Jackson, and the Whig Party emerged as opposition.
• The Panic of 1837 caused economic depression during Van Buren’s presidency.

Social Reform Movements

• Labor reformers fought for a 10-hour workday and improved conditions.
• Prohibitionists got 13 states to ban alcohol from 1846–1855.
• The women’s rights movement began, with Seneca Falls Convention (1848) and property rights progress.
• Education reformers like Horace Mann led campaigns for public schooling and teacher training.
• The abolition movement intensified, pushing to end slavery and fueling sectional tensions.

Slavery and the Missouri Compromise

• Balance between free and slave states was crucial; the Missouri Compromise (1820) admitted Maine (free) and Missouri (slave).
• The Missouri Compromise banned slavery north of Missouri’s southern border (except Missouri).
• Tensions over slavery’s expansion continued, with the South increasingly defending slavery as vital.

Cultural Shifts

• Americans began to celebrate the frontier and nature, as seen in literature and art.
• Advances in printing, like lithography and cheap newspapers, spread culture widely.
• Mass gatherings and speeches remained key in shaping public opinion.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Manifest Destiny — The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America.
• Monroe Doctrine — 1823 policy warning Europe not to interfere in the Americas.
• Gadsden Purchase — 1853 U.S. land purchase from Mexico forming southern AZ and NM.
• Cotton Gin — Machine invented by Eli Whitney to separate cotton fibers from seeds.
• Reaper — Cyrus McCormick’s invention for faster grain harvesting.
• Jacksonian Democracy — Jackson's policy of political power for all, not just elites.
• Spoils System — Practice of giving government jobs to political supporters.
• Missouri Compromise — 1820 law maintaining balance between free and slave states.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review maps showing U.S. territorial growth from 1820–1850.
• Read primary sources: Seneca Falls Declaration, Monroe Doctrine excerpt.
• Study key inventions (cotton gin, telegraph) and their inventors.