Westward Expansion

Why were there few white Americans in the West before the 1820s-30s?

The region was difficult to access, lacked infrastructure, was seen as dry and unproductive, and had little government control or economic incentive.

What motivated white Americans to move west by the 1830s?

Improved farming tools, economic hardship like the Panic of 1837, and new opportunities such as land and trade routes.

What is Manifest Destiny?

The belief that Americans were divinely ordained to expand westward across the continent.

How did Manifest Destiny justify western expansion?

It framed expansion as spreading civilization, Christianity, and democracy.

What was the Whitman Massacre?

A conflict where Cayuse Indians killed Protestant missionaries due to confusion and mistrust caused by missionary tactics.

How did the U.S. government use the Whitman Massacre?

They used it to justify retaliation, leading to wars and forced relocation of Native Americans.

Who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Joseph Smith founded the church in the 1820s-30s.

What role did Brigham Young play in the Latter-day Saints?

He guided the Mormons west to Utah and helped establish a stable community after Joseph Smith's death.

What caused tension between the U.S. governments and the Mormons?

Tensions arose from Mormon practices like polygamy and their political power.

How was the dispute between the U.S. government and Mormons resolved?

The U.S. reduced Mormon territorial control and banned polygamy.

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in Reynolds v. U.S.?

The Court ruled that religious freedom protects beliefs but not practices that violate the law.

Why did the Court ban polygamy in the United States?

To maintain social order and uphold traditional definitions of marriage.

How did the California Gold Rush affect urbanization in the West?

It triggered rapid population growth and urbanization, creating boomtowns around resource discoveries.

What happened to many boomtowns after resources ran out?

Many became ghost towns.

What is one example of genocidal policies against Native Americans?

California local governments carried out campaigns of violence, including killings and enslavement.

What was another example of genocidal policies against Native Americans?

Local bounty systems paid settlers for Native American scalps, encouraging violence and extermination.