Westward Expansion

Allison Desbonnet
November 14, 2007

The “Promised Land” of North America in the nineteenth century attracted many settlers from the eastern states. After acquiring the land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains through the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark’s exploration helped provoke Americans’ desire to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast. This migration west benefited America in many ways. Through unity and technological advancements, westward expansion led to America’s success, thereby justifying that enterprise. A countless amount of people were brought together as one during and after the westward expansion of North America. Those who were involved in this treated it as a community project in which the U.S unites itself to work as a whole. For example, families and friends came together as one to build houses and barns, sew quilts, husk corn, along with other duties which gained success in America and their goal of expansion. These efforts put forth attracted different types of people from various diversities. They shared the same aspirations, and displayed the same amount of effort. For instance, the California gold rush gave those of different ethnic backgrounds, colors, and education levels to become miners. Many people were given the chance to begin a new life, such as those searching for fame and fortune. Everyone relied on one another during these times, which brought unity forth, thus stating that westward expansion was indeed just. Expanding westward brought forth a multitude of new business opportunities, helping America progress as a country. Farmers were one of the many who benefited from these advancements. For example, automatic drills and plows were invented, along with a machine known as the “header”, which was used for cutting off the heads of standing grain. These tools affected westward expansion positively; giving us new technological advancements therefore contributing to the development of America. Cattle ranching soon became an extremely popular industry, developing techniques used in the East, which profited those in the West greatly. Along this same time period, railroads were extended further westward, giving a new way of transportation for cattle into markets all across the country. We were able to use this as an opportunity to advance further, creating more efficient ways of life, which was a gain for America. Westward expansion was in fact just as for without it our lives as Americans would not have the technology for which we withhold today.