Robert Morgan Westward Expansion Analysis

Improved Essays
In his article titled “There Is No True History of the Westward Expansion,” Robert Morgan claims that the expansion didn’t only revolve around the “heroes” and the “villains,” but it also revolves around the citizens of America.

Morgan’s claim that expansion didn’t involve just the major “parts” but also the minor “parts” is reasonable. An example of how this would be the case is how in his (Robert Morgan) article, he states that it’s “natural and perhaps necessary for historians and storytellers to view the dramatic shifts of history through the actions of a few famous figures, whether heroes or villains.” This statement, paired with his statement that “A true story of the westward expansion would be the account of the actions, thoughts,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Every group of people that have ever been treated unfairly have been effected in the three same ways; socially, politically and economically, just as the Native Americans were affected during Westward expansion. Westward Expansion began in 1807 and was the US expanding to the Western territories. Essentially taking them from the Native Americans in order to achieve Manifest Destiny. To what extent did Westward Expansion affect the lives of Native americans during the mid to late 19th Century? How did it impact the government, their culture, religion and education and their resources?Westward Expansion greatly affected Native American lives socially, economically and politically.…

    • 1277 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Robert Morgan’s book, “Lions of the West”, it explains the journey of moving and life in the west starting with Thomas Jefferson’s birth through Westward Expansion to the Indian Wars of the west. Morgan also talks about how Jefferson wasn’t the only person to push Westward Expansion to what it is today; sure some politicians and others like Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Sam Houston all contributed to the push for Westward Expansion. Jackson’s push to Westward Expansion was on the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears was Jackson’s Indian removal policy to push the Cherokee nation east of the Mississippi River to present day Oklahoma. James K. Polk and Sam Houston was both apart of the same conflict on the Mexican -…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Alfredo Valdez American Progress Westward expansion from coast to coast was a must, their destiny, as imposed by John Gast. This phenomenon became known as the, “Manifest Destiny.” Gast exposed both pessimistic an irrefutable realities of expanding institutions to the west by illustrating the Native Americans running away in fear as the Americans are approaching. The enormous female figure lights the way for the Americans, for they believed it was their moral acquisition to expand westward, and they would do anything to get it done.…

    • 250 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With the amount of immigrants coming to the United States and the birth rates being so high, it would only be the correct thing to assume that average citizens would be the cause for westward expansion. After reading Morgans text about westward expansion and answering questions, it would be the safest choice to side with his central ideas on the text. Arguing and explaining why the readers of this should agree with his central ideas is the task. As it states in Morgan's text, “With swelling immigration, this exploding population needed space to put down roots, and the space available was to the west, always following the sun.”…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dating back to the years of 1800-1855 the United states was growing in population, size and knowledge. Before the 1800s the US colonies had accepted the idea of expansion as settlers were migrating west even before winning their independence from Britain in the Revolutionary war. The year of 1830s brought many ideas that influenced the need to expand such as the manifest destiny coined by American columnist John O’ Sullivan. O’sullivan introduced the idea of manifest destiny which relies on the foundation that it is a god given right for Americans to expand their territory. Although the manifest destiny and the issue of territorial expansion created many disparities and conflicts among foreign nations, such as the Mexican-American war, it…

    • 260 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During 1803 to 1853, the United States almost tripled in her size. In the early 1800s, the land located in the west part of the United States was not developed so much. Even before the American colonies won their independence from Britain in the Revolutionary War, settlers were migrating westward. Western area had many sufficient lands to live because President Thomas Jefferson purchased the territory of Louisiana from the French In 1803. Many considered it to be uncivilized and underdeveloped even though it was home to many native peoples and the settlers from France, Spain, Mexico and many other countries.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Invading someone's home is not any human would do , unless you are a eastern american killing native americans for their territory. Westward Expansion was a big movement from the eastern to the west, the eastern americans thought it was a god given right to go to the west. To get the Eastern American settled they had to kill numerous Native Americans taking away their reservations one by one. One reason this was awful because of the Insufficient resources to make a living in the plains, Constructing a house can take up to about 6 months at the rate of wood chosen and hydration including would make it almost impossible to build a house. Another reason is that you can not make a living in the plains unless you would want to risk your life in…

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    During the mid 1800’s, Westward Expansion dramatically increased and permanently shaped the United States of America. The Gold Rush, trade with Japan, and the end of the Mexican War lead people to travel to the west coast. Many people gained freedom and opportunity by coming to America in the mid 1800’s; however, others encountered misfortunes along the way. The Donner Party traveled to the West Coast in hopes of creating a better life. The Mormons Pioneers traveled west to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.…

    • 1963 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Westward Expansion Thesis

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Westward expansion was the key to the nation’s wellbeing and prosperity, it was believed by Jefferson that a republic depended on an independent, virtuous community for its survival, and that independence and virtue went hand in hand with land ownership. In order to provide enough land to the commoners we would have to expand. The Westward expansion of the United States was a crucial moment in American history. Although the federal government used smart tactical methods to gain land in the 1800’s, it ultimately dishonored and destroyed both people and their causes, which didn’t unite us, it ultimately ended up being a beneficiary to us as a nation. Westward expansion began with the Louisiana Purchase on 1803.…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    As we have previously seen how racial, class, and gender inequality impacted the development of the North American colonies and the early United States it also impacted the expansion as well. Westward expansion began 1783 and by about 1853 the United States almost tripled in size. The western part of the country in the early 1800’s wasn’t well populated at the time. Expansion took place in the east and moved westward. Therefore, we have the start to westward expansion.…

    • 1264 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the early stages of America’s expansion a few major factors motivated the expansion towards the west. America is a new country at this time, and is dealing with its new power and responsibility. People in America at the time looked towards the future wealth they could obtain by expanding west. With the new unknown land to the west, the American people needed motivation to expand westward. The politics that motivated westward expansion revolved around the indigenous people on the land, a big ideology which spurred westward expansion was Manifest Destiny, and the economic factor for this expansion was slavery and its role in the industrialization of America.…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Great Move (My opinion of why manifest destiny was a turning point in American History) American history has been debated time and time again. Everyone has a favorite time in history and often hold their own opinions about the events that take place. From the Declaration of Independence and the birth of America to the Revolutionary War that brought forth the great American dream, many things were innovated and changing. A new task, the task of moving west, started with Lewis and Clark and the great expedition that proved that moving west was in fact safe.…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As The United states began a time of expansion into the west in the late 1830’s, debates over whether or not slavery would be permitted in those territories vacated by the native Americans caused great disagreements in Government and Society. While slavery is the most obvious reason for succession, Westward expansion and the rights of the new states were responsible for much of the violent conflicts that lead to the Civil War. States struggled to find common ground, but the differences between North and South and new Immigration made A series of compromises were created but by 1860 compromise had failed. Southerners feared an increase in free states would create an imbalance of power and create an advantage to the abolition of slavery.…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While America began to expand and become more industrialize, not everybody agreed with the ideas and concepts. Due to the difference in opinion there was a lot of controversy and voiced opinions about the westward expansions. While some Americans supported Westward expansions, there was others who opposed Westward expansions. Also some Americans supported the Mexican War, while others opposed the Mexican war. However, both the Westward expansion and the Mexican war had positive and negative effects to the country we live in today.…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Real details of Westward Expansion and America’s growth is…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays