What Are The Effects Of Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion began in 1803 and led to the settlement of much of the modern United States. However, the United States was not settled quickly. In fact, it was not settled at all. Instead the so called “settlers” murdered thousands of Native Americans ripping them from their sacred lands, their homes, and their families.On the other hand, the white settlers felt as if the natives were inferior and used the ideals of social darwinism to justify their actions. This savage expansion was truly the ideal picture of Manifest Destiny. The ideal of Manifest Destiny was fueled by American lust for land and human greed, causing the removal and massacre of native peoples, and was made possible to an extent through the construction and completion
However, some tribes stayed as well, not afraid of the white man and willing to fight for their homes. These tribes, as well as the tribes forced to evacuate along the trail of tears, felt their land was being invaded and destroyed. The Chief of the Kiowa stated “A long time ago this land belonged to our fathers; but when I go up to the river I see camps of soldiers here on its bank. These soldiers cut down my timber; they kill my buffalo; and when I see that, my heart feels like bursting; I feel sorry”[1]. Chief Santana, echoed the thoughts and feelings of many of the native tribes forced to relocate, or fight for their lands. Many of these tribes lived in territories in which the transcontinental railroad plowed through resulting in sometimes violent conflicts with workers and settlements along the railroad. One notable example is the Massacre at Sand Creek. In the autumn of 1864, a group of Cheyenne Indians were beginning to set up camp for the winter when US troops at Fort Lyon attacked. On November 29, Colonel John Chivington ordered the attack “Kill and scalp all, big and little; nits make lice”. However, if the Native Americans did not cause conflict prior to the massacre, the soldiers would have no reason to attack. On the other hand,not all tribes conflicted with the Americans, the Pawnee Indians welcomed the workers with open arms and got along with the settlers
The Indians murdered settlements and threatened the lives of workers, and at the time reigned terror on the railroad. In fact, in the summer of 1867, a band of Cheyenne Indians attacked and derailed a train in Nebraska, killing dozens of trainmen.[2] Attacks like this broke out all along the railroad killing both natives and white settlers. These attacks caused the mobilization of the United States military towards what is now the Midwest, causing the Great Sioux War of 1876. The most notable battle in this war was the Battle of Little Bighorn. In this battle, warriors from the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and the Arapaho tribes, led by Sitting Bull and Crazy horse, fought the Seventh Regiment of the United States Cavalry, led by Colonel George Custer, on June 25th 1876. After a day of vicious battle, the Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse came out victorious wiping out Custer and his men. Even with the United States’ superior military force, the Indian forces came out victorious, showing how the drive to keep their sacred lands motivated the natives to fight for their homes and lives. However, this battle and the Great Sioux War would not have taken place, without the implementation of the transcontinental railroad. Without the railroad the United States would have limited access to the Great Plains, as they had not charted