How important was the Federal Government in the westward expansion
of the USA 1803-1890?
The Federal Government was a highly important factor in the westward
expansion of the USA from 1803 to 1890, alongside other influential elements
such as ideological beliefs and the pull factors of the West, including its natural
resources. While these factors contributed significantly, it was the Federal
Government’s role in acquiring vast new territories, developing transportation
networks, and enacting legislation that ensured long-term settlement and
growth. Although the individual beliefs and ideas that attracted settlers to the
West played a crucial role, the Federal Government’s decisive actions provided
the foundation for westward expansion, making it, above all, the most important
factor.
There is little doubt that the role of the Federal Government was the most
important cause for the westward expansion of the USA from 1803 to 1890 due
to their land purchases and exploration. The 1803 Louisiana Purchase more than
doubled the size of the USA for less than 3 cents per acre, which meant that it
provided the USA with vast fertile lands essential for agriculture and settlement,
opening up opportunities for people to move west. This purchase, orchestrated
by the Federal Government earlier than other purchases, resulted in the
foundations for westward expansion, as proven by the 15 states included in the
purchase. Furthermore, this is reinforced by the Federal Government's
commissioning of Lewis and Clark in 1803 to chart the lands from the Louisiana
Purchase, which resulted in maps of 4,000 miles detailing the Missouri and
Columbia Rivers, the Rocky Mountains, and the Atlantic Coast. This created a
safety net for the government and settlers, as they were now aware of what they
were moving into and how to navigate the terrain effectively. This detailed
exploration allowed settlers to plan their migration with greater confidence,
reducing risks and uncertainty. The fact that the exploration was commissioned
by the government in the same year as the purchase highlights the
government’s proactive and rapid response to aiding expansion. The additional
expedition of Stephen Long in 1819 to Nebraska, Colorado, and the Rockies
further represents this willingness to move west and explore the new land, which
influenced settlers to do the same, contributing to westward expansion. These
explorers were the first to travel west due to the Federal Government, so they
broke the hesitation and fear to do so, resulting in detailed maps, reports on
natural resources, and details on the indigenous populations of the west. This
information made it easier for others to follow and lay their claims to the
abundance of resources and land. However, there are fundamental flaws in this
argument, as without any developments on the land acquired, it was useless.
Hostility developed between settlers and Native Americans. Furthermore, the
land was uninhabitable, as the Rockies stretched through the middle and a route
wasn’t found until 1826, which meant that the use of the land was limited.
Additionally, Lewis and Clark explored very little of the West, which still highlights
this lack of knowledge that could have been gained. Long’s reports argued that
the Great Plains were unsuitable for settlement, which resulted in the
discouragement of movement. His claims slowed down westward expansion, as
he brought back information on the infertility of the land, which discouraged the
movement of plantation owners and farmers seeking profitable land. The states
gained from the purchases and explored were only admitted into the Union in
of the USA 1803-1890?
The Federal Government was a highly important factor in the westward
expansion of the USA from 1803 to 1890, alongside other influential elements
such as ideological beliefs and the pull factors of the West, including its natural
resources. While these factors contributed significantly, it was the Federal
Government’s role in acquiring vast new territories, developing transportation
networks, and enacting legislation that ensured long-term settlement and
growth. Although the individual beliefs and ideas that attracted settlers to the
West played a crucial role, the Federal Government’s decisive actions provided
the foundation for westward expansion, making it, above all, the most important
factor.
There is little doubt that the role of the Federal Government was the most
important cause for the westward expansion of the USA from 1803 to 1890 due
to their land purchases and exploration. The 1803 Louisiana Purchase more than
doubled the size of the USA for less than 3 cents per acre, which meant that it
provided the USA with vast fertile lands essential for agriculture and settlement,
opening up opportunities for people to move west. This purchase, orchestrated
by the Federal Government earlier than other purchases, resulted in the
foundations for westward expansion, as proven by the 15 states included in the
purchase. Furthermore, this is reinforced by the Federal Government's
commissioning of Lewis and Clark in 1803 to chart the lands from the Louisiana
Purchase, which resulted in maps of 4,000 miles detailing the Missouri and
Columbia Rivers, the Rocky Mountains, and the Atlantic Coast. This created a
safety net for the government and settlers, as they were now aware of what they
were moving into and how to navigate the terrain effectively. This detailed
exploration allowed settlers to plan their migration with greater confidence,
reducing risks and uncertainty. The fact that the exploration was commissioned
by the government in the same year as the purchase highlights the
government’s proactive and rapid response to aiding expansion. The additional
expedition of Stephen Long in 1819 to Nebraska, Colorado, and the Rockies
further represents this willingness to move west and explore the new land, which
influenced settlers to do the same, contributing to westward expansion. These
explorers were the first to travel west due to the Federal Government, so they
broke the hesitation and fear to do so, resulting in detailed maps, reports on
natural resources, and details on the indigenous populations of the west. This
information made it easier for others to follow and lay their claims to the
abundance of resources and land. However, there are fundamental flaws in this
argument, as without any developments on the land acquired, it was useless.
Hostility developed between settlers and Native Americans. Furthermore, the
land was uninhabitable, as the Rockies stretched through the middle and a route
wasn’t found until 1826, which meant that the use of the land was limited.
Additionally, Lewis and Clark explored very little of the West, which still highlights
this lack of knowledge that could have been gained. Long’s reports argued that
the Great Plains were unsuitable for settlement, which resulted in the
discouragement of movement. His claims slowed down westward expansion, as
he brought back information on the infertility of the land, which discouraged the
movement of plantation owners and farmers seeking profitable land. The states
gained from the purchases and explored were only admitted into the Union in
