Written Assignment 2

Running head: WESTWARD 1

WESTWARD 5

The Westward Expansion (1860-1890)

Mark Lasky

HIST102B013

American History Since 1877

Jon Mikolashek

January 26, 2018

The Westward Expansion (1860-1890)

The eras of reconstruction, after the Civil War, not only lead to the redress of widespread inequities, but it was also characterized by Industrial Growth and the Westward Expansion. The Westward Expansion was aided by many factors that were viewed as significant in maintaining the Manifest Destiny ideology (Dobson, 2013). Through the observation of the map detailing the westward expansion, factors such as transportation network, agricultural land, precipitation, geological features, population and major cities give subtle information which is meant to explain why the expansion occurred. Decent intro, but lots of passive voice here.

The analysis of this map essay is aimed at providing the chronology of events linked to the western expansion between 1860 and 1890. It seeks to answer the questions of how agriculture spread throughout the decades, the impact of the railroad, factors affecting the location of major cities in the map and the patterns of growth in relation to the different factors shown on the map.

It is clear that the geological features and forces of nature played a great role in determining the choice of settlement before the Westward Expansion. Characterized by limited rainfall (less than 20 inches of measurement) and the mountainous nature of the western portion, very little agricultural activity, a railroad network and population growth happened in these regions.

By the 1860s, agriculture was widely practiced in the eastern parts of the map across all the major cities. In the areas beyond the mountains in the western part, agriculture was limited to the areas close to water resources. This is because by this decade irrigation was already put into use. Over the decades, agriculture spread widely. In the western part, the areas around San Francisco experienced increased agriculture due to the railroad network which contributed a great deal to the improved farming technology. (Borneman, 2014) Inventions such as the reaper, the combine harvester and the steel plow heavily impacted the process of cultivation as well as harvesting processes. Ranching also improved due to the invention of the barbed wire. This allowed for the confinement of farm animals to the grazing lands. The railroad allowed for the movement of these important inventions. This explains why areas surrounding San Francisco experienced immense growth in agriculture.

An important feature in the Westward expansion is the emergence of cities with populations exceeding a hundred thousand. In the 1860s there were approximately nine cities that had a population exceeding a hundred thousand. There was an increase in creation of new urban centers in the Eastern part of the map due availability of the railroad. The number of these cities increased as movement towards the west begun. Importantly, all these cities were located along the railroad in areas where there was improved agricultural land. By the last decade in 1890, there were three cities with a population of more than a million and one with more than five hundred thousand. This explains why there was increased pressure to move westward for new settlements during these years. In the westward expansion, much of the land that was claimed originally belonged to the Native Americans. The expansion disrupted the indigenous people who were eventually displaced. Although the natives resorted to war, they lost due to the superiority of the new settlers. Eventually the natives lost their culture and were assimilated into the western culture. (Wilhelm, 2014)

In the Westward Expansion, railroads were also used to enforce administration. This is because as economic growth and industrial power increased, political influence also increased. Cities emerged quite differently; the small rural centers that were served by the railroad were the first stop points for migrating populations. These towns eventually became cultural hotspots, industrial areas and centers of learning that turned into cities. A major factor in the emergence of well-organized territories and states was the Homestead Act of 1862 that gave a promise of land ownership. This allowed for titling of up to 160 acres of federally held land. Most of those who met the application conditions moved westwards in order to acquire land.

In observation of the map, there was an immense growth of population in the north. However, there was a very slow population growth in the south. The lack of opportunities for immigrants and the fact that there was slow industrial expansion hindered huge population settlements. The cities in these regions relied on agriculture that is why there is an increase in agriculture throughout the decades to the areas around New Orleans. These factors lead to the southern cities experiencing slower population growth and financial inadequacy hindering industrial growth and infrastructure.

Conclusion

In essence, the doctrine referred to as the “‘Manifest Destiny”’ painted the picture of an intention to make the United States cover the whole continent. Although there were many variables, this path was pursued in a rather structured manner. It is the westward expansion policy that kicked off this project. The different aspects that define the American history of growth such as westward expansion, immigration and economic empowerment can be understood from an overview of the given map. (Hagger, 2011)An examination of the map shows the correlation between different factors that characterized the Westward Expansion. It is evident that transportation through the transcontinental railroad network paved way for the exploration of new lands to the west, the uprising of major cities which were connected through the railway network and economic as well as agricultural growth. The railroad network was mainly a means of transport; however, it opened the westward areas to new inventions, knowledge and different cultures. The Westward expansion therefore created what is now the modern day United States of America.

Two things to work on going forward. First, write more formally and proofread your writing better. There are some rough patches. Second, you need to write with more active voice. Way too much passive voice.

References

Borneman, W. (2014). Iron Horses: America's Race to Bring the Railroads West. Colorado:

Little Brown.

Dobson, D. (2013). Manifest Destiny and the Environmental Impacts of Westward Expansion. Flinders Journal of History and Politics, 41-69.

Hagger, N. (2012). the Secret American Dream: The Creation of a New World Order with the

Power to Abolish War, Poverty, and Disease. Watkins Media Limited.

Wilhelm, R. (2014). The Bloody Century: True Tales of Murder in 19th Century America. Boston: Night Stick Press.