WESTWARD EXPANSION!

BY: ASHLEY GRAY

Manifest Destiny

Fort Mandan

Fort Mandan was an important stopping point when Lewis and Clark made there expedition out West. This was when they met the Indian tribe Shoshone and a girl in that tribe named Sacagawea. Sacagawea was a main leader in the westward expansion because she helped lead Lewis and Clark out west and supplied the expedition with food and horses. When Lewis and Clark arrived back in St. Louis many people wanted to go out west and explore to start new lives. Lewis and Clark helped expand to the west and without Fort Mandan they would have never met Sacagawea and continued on there journey.

Independence, Missouri

During the year of 1843, many families gathered at Independence, Missouri to travel out west. They traveled on a trail called the Oregon Trail. Many pioneers went in search of new belongings and they had been struck with “Oregon Fever”. There were tales about wheat being taller than men and turnips being as wide as five feet. Families gathered up their children and formed wagon trains to get to this magnificently known place. This affect Manifest Destiny because the rumors made Americans want everything for themselves and thought better life was to the West.

Rio Grande River

The land between the Rio Grande and the Noeces river was claimed by both Mexico and the U.S. President Polk to take matters further and told Americans to set up post in this area. Outraged the Mexicans struck with an attack, invading American territory and shedding American blood on American soil. Polk answered back when Congress agreed to declare war. Their first meeting with Santa Anna was the Battle of Buena Vista, and even though they were outnumbered Santa Anna retreated at the end.

San Antonio, Texas

Inspired to win freedom, Texas fought at the Alamo and was defeated February 23, 1836. Texans wanted revenge and as soon as they found out Santa Anna was by the San Jacinto river a sneak attack was planned out. This battle last all of 20 minutes and once again outnumbered they captured Santa Anna. Santa Anna was forced to sign a Treaty for Texan Independence. Americans were quickly taking over the west with Texas finally in American hands they moved on to bigger things during the Manifest Destiny.

Santa Fe/ San Diego, California General Stephen Kearny led the 3rd American

Army to capture Santa Fe. This was a battle without guns and as Santa Fe was in American hands the moved on to San Diego. Here it wasn’t as simple, many wars were fought but they finally grasped the whole Southern section of California in 1847. At this time a lot of the west had been conquered and turned into American land. As the land was being expanded people began to expand with it.

Sutter’s Mill ( Sacramento, California) James Marshall found one of the greatest

treasure in the west; it was gold! Along the American River where John Sutter’s sawmill was being constructed the discovery of gold had been made. Keeping this a secret wasn’t an option and the news went from San Diego to around the whole world. As many people from all over the world came to California this event was known as the California Gold Rush. Over 80,000 people came to California and this named them the forty-niners.

Charleston, Tennessee

Westward expansion became a problem for the Natives. As Americans began moving west they took Native land and forced them to live on the frontier. Many natives were also pushed of their land because rumors of gold being found their brought Americans to explore. Once again American greed to over. The Indian Removal Act was passed in 1830 which sent Natives on their way down the long road to the west. This trail was called the Trail of Tears and it started right in Charleston, Tennessee.

Manifest

Destiny

ALAMO

GOLD RUSH

Trail of Tears

Lewis and Clark

Manifest Destiny

Each one of these places represented how Americans fought through to expand their country westward. Americans were greedy and took over the land quickly. Each place was a hardship on there way across to the west. The west simply known as the best! Rumors and greed made the Manifest Destiny happen and the Gold Rush, Alamo, Trail of Tears and Oregon all represent how Americans expanded this country. They believed this was their right and Americans certainly proved it when taking over all grounds in such little time.

THE END!!!!!