Westward Expansion
It was an American responsibility to expand westward. In 1803 president Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States when he bought the territory of Louisiana from the French for $15 million. According to Jefferson, this was crucial for America’s survival, he believed that independence goes together with owning land. Gaining land was important for America’s existence. It was for the good of the country to expand westward. It was both the people’s and the country’s responsibility. Many Americans wanted to improve their lives socially and economically. It was their own responsibility to expand. According to Billington, opportunity is what influenced people to expand. “Opportunity was the magnet that drew men and women from Europe or the eastern United States into the sparsely settled West, for there nature's bounties were so abundant that individuals needed only their own brawn, brains, and courage to improve …show more content…
It made the country bigger and stronger. America would not be the same today if we hadn't expanded westward. We would have less than half the land we have now if we hadn’t expanded past the Mississippi River. “This expansion, historians concluded, had led to a constant rebirth of civilization in the West.” A positive effect on the westward expansion is that America gained a great deal of land and became a more powerful nation. Westward expansion changed America in a positive way.
In 1803 Thomas Jefferson paid $15 million to the French government for the territory of Louisiana. This purchase doubled the size of the country. Jefferson believed this was important for important for America’s existence. He thought that a republic survived on “ an independent, virtuous citizenry for its survival” and also that independence and land ownership complement each other. Expansion was crucial for America’s survival. It was an American responsibility to expand
It was an American responsibility to expand westward. In 1803 president Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States when he bought the territory of Louisiana from the French for $15 million. According to Jefferson, this was crucial for America’s survival, he believed that independence goes together with owning land. Gaining land was important for America’s existence. It was for the good of the country to expand westward. It was both the people’s and the country’s responsibility. Many Americans wanted to improve their lives socially and economically. It was their own responsibility to expand. According to Billington, opportunity is what influenced people to expand. “Opportunity was the magnet that drew men and women from Europe or the eastern United States into the sparsely settled West, for there nature's bounties were so abundant that individuals needed only their own brawn, brains, and courage to improve …show more content…
It made the country bigger and stronger. America would not be the same today if we hadn't expanded westward. We would have less than half the land we have now if we hadn’t expanded past the Mississippi River. “This expansion, historians concluded, had led to a constant rebirth of civilization in the West.” A positive effect on the westward expansion is that America gained a great deal of land and became a more powerful nation. Westward expansion changed America in a positive way.
In 1803 Thomas Jefferson paid $15 million to the French government for the territory of Louisiana. This purchase doubled the size of the country. Jefferson believed this was important for important for America’s existence. He thought that a republic survived on “ an independent, virtuous citizenry for its survival” and also that independence and land ownership complement each other. Expansion was crucial for America’s survival. It was an American responsibility to expand