The Westward Expansion of the United States

1
The Westward Expansion of the United States
Why do you think people in the United States felt
a need to expand further to the west?
2
Manifest destiny idea that the United States was
ordained to expand to the Pacific Ocean. Some
proponents of the idea even suggested that the
country should absorb Canada, Mexico, and the
nations of Central America and the Caribbean.
The concept justified rapidly expanding white
settlement throughout the mid to late 19th
century.
How does this painting represent the concept of
Manifest Destiny?
3
U.S. Government Encourages Westward Expansion
During and after the Civil War, Americans and
immigrants, with the help of the government,
continued a push westward, occupying the Great
Plains, the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest.
4
Pacific Railway Act (1862) U.S. government
provided for the construction of a
transcontinental railroad through land grants.
Transcontinental Railroad a railroad line
linking the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the
U.S., 1st line completed in 1869.
Land Grants land was given to railroad companies
to encourage construction.

• Competing railroad companies competed to get as
  much land from the government as possible.

• Railroads sold excess land to settlers, real
  estate agencies and other businesses to pay for
  the cost of constructing the lines.

5
Impact of Railroad Expansion
Nobody Move!! I lost a contact.
Where do you see the majority of towns appearing?
6
Railroad Consolidation
In early 1800s, most railroads served local needs
but a desire to connect local lines arose.
7
Railroad Consolidation
As railroad lines grew in length, time zones were
implemented to improve safety and reliability.
How would time zones improve safety and
reliability?
8
Impact of Railroad Consolidation
1. Increased efficiency for businesses using
railroads.
How?
2. Decreased time spent in long distance travel.
How would this impact westward expansion?
3. United Americans from different regions.
In what ways would Americans become more united?
9
Morrill Land Grant Acts (1862 1890) enacted to
help create agricultural colleges by giving
federal lands to states.
Can you see any evidence of these acts today?
10
Homestead Act (1862) provided 160 acres in the
West to any citizen or intended citizen who was
head of a household and would cultivate the land
for five years much of the land given to
settlers had been reserved for Native Americans
through treaties.
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Quick Review!
In what ways did the U.S. government encourage
westward expansion?
How did the growth and consolidation of railroads
impact the country?
Do you think westward expansion would have
occurred if the belief in Manifest Destiny did
not exist?
What groups were hurt by the westward expansion
of the United States?
12
Government Policy On Native Americans
How does this drawing represent the artists
perception of the relationship between Native
Americans and settlers?
13
Formative or Treaty Era the first period of U.S.
government policy toward Native Americans lasted
from about 1789 to 1871 and overlapped the
Removal Era.
It was a period during which Congress dealt with
Indian nations through
Treaties
Statutes laws
The Formative Era ended with Congress banning the
further signing of treaties with Native Americans
in 1871.
14
Removal Era spanned over four decades and was
characterized not only by the forced relocation
of whole Indian nations, but also by a shift in
federal policy toward the "management" of Native
American populations on reservations.
Beginning in 1830 with the Indian Removal Act,
Native American tribes in the East were subjected
to a systematic effort by the federal government
to move them westward.
15
Indian Removal Act Enacted on May 28, 1830, it
proceeded to shift most of the nations of Indian
tribes in the eastern United States to
reservations in what was deemed Indian territory
in present-day Oklahoma.
Indian Territory an area of land set aside for
members of the Five Civilized Tribes
Reservation a tract of public land set aside by
the government for use by Native Americans.
Take notice of the types of structures that exist
on this reservation. Why are there some
differences?
16
Once the Natives were removed, what happened to
their former lands?
17
Trail of Tears name given to forced march of
Cherokee Indians from their lands in the
southeastern U.S. to Indian Territory during
1838-1839.
Thousands of people died during the journey and
the Trail of Tears has become synonymous with the
U.S. governments harsh treatment of Native
Americans. The term is sometimes used to refer
to the eviction of other tribes as well.
Wheres Oprah??
How does the artist portray the hardships of the
march?
18
Bureau of Indian Affairs government agency
established in 1824 to help manage American
Indian issues still in existence today.
19
Indian agents men who served as representatives
of the U.S. government in its dealings with
Native Americans, particularly with Indians
living on reservations worked under the
supervision of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and
were responsible for providing tribes with food,
clothing, and other supplies and were expected to
promote "civilization" among the Indians.
Indian agents remained a powerful factor in
Native American lives until the Indian
Reorganization Act of 1934.
20
Assimilation and Allotment Era 1871 to 1928
involved ending tribal influence, was designed to
integrate Native Americans into white American
life it ended with the passage of the Indian
Reorganization Act in 1934.
Indian Training School Chemawa, Oregon
21
Allotment the apportioning out of reservation
lands to individual Native American tribes,
became official government policy with passage of
the General Allotment Act (Dawes Severalty Act)
of 1887. The federal government believed that
allotment would aid in process of assimilating
Native Americans to U.S. society, as they would
learn benefits of owning and cultivating property.
Between 1887 and 1934, Native Americans lost
approximately 90 million acres of land through
allotment.
Use this deed as a primary source. What can it
tell you about this allotment of land?
22
Assimilation process whereby individuals or
groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed
into the dominant of a society. In the late 19th
century and early 20th century, the official U.S.
government policy of assimilation in regard to
Native Americans was a failure.
23
Acculturation refers to the conscious effort made
by the United States to conform Native Americans
to the ways of U.S. society. By the end of the
19th century, the process of acculturation was
actively funded and supported by such federal
policies as
Indian Citizenship Act, June 2, 1924 An act to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue
certificates of citizenship to Indians. Be it
enacted, That all non-citizen Indians born
within the territorial limits of the United
States be, and they are hereby, declared to be
citizens of the United States Provided, That the
granting of such citizenship shall not in any
manner impair or otherwise affect the right of
any Indian to tribal or other property.
- the allotment of land to individual Native
Americans.
- the education of Native American children in
government schools.
- the granting of U.S. citizenship.
Whats the difference between assimilation or
acculturation?
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Acculturation as government policy ended when the
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 allowed Native
Americans once again to practice the tenets of
their tribal beliefs.
Its main provisions were to restore to Native
Americans management of their assets (mostly
land) to prevent further depletion of
reservation resources to build a sound economic
foundation for the people of the reservations
and to return to the Native Americans local
self-government on a tribal basis.
Indian Reorganization Act landmark federal
legislation of June 18, 1934 that officially
ended the government's policy of allotment and
advocated tribal organization on reservations as
a formula for the improvement of Indian life.
25

• www.historyonthenet.com/.../ manifest_destiny.htm
  
• www.cyberbee.com/manifest_ destiny/destiny.html
• whitemountainart.com/.../ chocorua_ab_002.htm
• www.historyteacher.net/ AHAP/AHAPTopicSheets.htm
• www.pbs.org/wgbh/ aia/part4/4narr4.html
• www.sd4history.com/ Unit7/crowcreek.htm