Westward Expansion Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to American westward expansion, including Manifest Destiny, important figures, and significant acts and events.

Manifest Destiny

A mindset held by Americans that God set aside land for the U.S., making it acceptable to displace Native Americans, claim the land, and believe God would ordain it.

John O'Sullivan

A magazine editor who, in 1845, declared America's Manifest Destiny, stating it was the U.S.'s fate to expand across land given by God to accommodate population growth and allow people to live freely.

Homestead Act 1862

Legislation that allowed any head of household or person aged 21 or older to receive a parcel of 160 acres for a small fee, designed to encourage settlement beyond the Mississippi River.

Pacific Railway Act

Legislation that helped settlers move west faster and ship their goods (products, cattle, etc.) back east. Railway companies profited from land and payments.

Transcontinental Railroad

Completed in 1869 when two railroads met in Promontory, Utah, creating the first transcontinental line. Its completion led to more rail lines and a nationwide railroad network.

Exodusters

African Americans who migrated west to escape racism and violence in the Old South and to find new economic opportunities.