Before the last few years, my knowledge of the US Westward Expansion and the Western frontier and pioneers mostly came from the famous Little House on the Prairie books, as well as the pioneer PC game Oregon Trail. (I believed that all pioneers died of dysentery in the prairies!) Knowing about United States history can aid in your family research if you have ancestors from the pioneer age. If you look at the date your family members were born, when they moved, and in which area they relocated, you can quickly determine whether your family was one of the pioneers in the settling of the Western frontier. Westward Expansion US gained the speed of progress in 1803 due to the presidency of Thomas Jefferson and the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France. With the purchase of $15 million Jefferson nearly doubled the amount of land that was owned by the United States. Then, he gave orders to Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark to map the newly acquired land and discover ways to connect it with connection to the Pacific Ocean. US Westward Expansion to the Western frontier was not to the point of being a reality until the 1840s when the concept that there was Manifest Destiny took a strong hold over the American mental psyche. In addition, the Homestead Act also played a significant role in the years following.
Manifest Destiny
The phrase Manifest Destiny was first coined by the editor of a newspaper, John L. O'Sullivan, even though the idea had long existed in the American mind. Manifest Destiny is the idea that it was the destiny of the United States to spread from the Atlantic towards into the Pacific Ocean. United States lawmakers, enamored by this notion, helped expand the railroad and provided incentives to move people to the West.
In 1846 in 1846, President James K. Polk, who was a strong supporter of Manifest Destiny, reached an agreement with Britain in the Oregon Territory, making the 49th parallel the line of separation that separated Canada as well as the United States. Shortly following that at the end of the Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe that was signed, the States acquired more than 525,000 sq acres of land, which would eventually become Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. Westward Expansion US would ultimately result in seven million people living within the Trans-Appalachian West as well as the creation of 22 states. An overview of the early history of the United States can help you to understand how you and your family members could be a part of the US Westward Expansion of the late and early stages.
Why Did the Pioneers Move West?
The news of land opening was heard by immigrants, freed slaves female farmers, and many more. For many, life in the States of the East was no longer appealing. Some struggled to find jobs, as overcrowding was to become a problem in certain regions, and farmers wanted more land to cultivate. Some simply did not like living in an industrialized country, with huge cities. Others moved to the West to avoid persecution due to the Westward Expansion US. The majority of those living in contemporary Utah and its surrounding regions had pioneered in their family relocated west together with Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers in 1846. In the year 1848, it was the time that the California Gold Rush began. It attracted entrepreneurs mining, businessmen, and miners. It also provided much-needed items into the West and established small mining towns. The pioneers traveled on a variety of routes, the most popular of which is the California as well as Oregon Trails. Texas ranches offered employment for ranchers and cowboys. Later on, free-range cattle were taken out and then fenced in. With fewer cattle roaming the open space, a room was created for more new settlers to build their homes. The Westward Expansion US also offered incentives like an incentive called the Homestead Act for people to move to the west of the new land.
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