USA Expansion from 1840 to 1860

Overview

• Focuses on the USA's expansion westward between 1840-1860.
• This period is before the Civil War and is a key part of American history.

Maps and Changes (1840 vs. 1860)

• 1840 Map:
  • Shows official states marked in pink.
  • Missouri and the Missouri Compromise line are significant points.
  • Territories north of Missouri were beginning to be settled.
• 1860 Map:
  • New states formed in the North.
  • Increased settlement across the West.
  • New states appear in the West (California, Oregon) and South (Texas).

Western Expansion

• Expansion primarily towards the West, defined as west of the Mississippi River.
• Mississippi River flows from St. Paul to New Orleans.
• The region includes:
  • Rocky Mountains
  • Great Plains
  • Deserts (e.g., Monument Valley on Utah-Arizona border)
  • Beautiful coastlines

Cultural Perspective

• American obsession with the West due to its mythical and diverse geography.
• 19th-century paintings depict romanticized scenes of American expansion.
  • White Americans moving westward.
  • Native Americans often shown observing the settlers.
  • Depictions of wagon trails, hunting scenes, and landscapes.

Allegorical Image of Expansion

• A well-known image shows a woman bringing modernity (electricity, trains) westward.
• Represents enlightenment moving west into the "unknown" darkness.
• This allegory reflects the American identity of conquering the Wild West.

Concept of Manifest Destiny

• Manifest Destiny: The belief that expanding west was a god-given right.
• White settlers saw it as their divine mission to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
• Critique:
  • Recognized as a racist idea, promoting white settler colonialism.
  • Lands were occupied by indigenous tribes for centuries, making it unjust to claim it was the settlers' right to take them.

Upcoming Focus

• Future discussions will focus on the Plains Native Americans and their history and impact during this period.