Territorial Expansion, Westward Movement, and Monroe Doctrine

Territorial Expansion, Westward Movement, and Monroe Doctrine in the 19th Century US

Learning Objectives

  • The means by which Americans expanded their territory westward.
  • The reasons for and developments of the Westward Movement.
  • The principles of the Monroe Doctrine (1823).

Ways Americans Expanded Westward

  • By Purchase: Examples include acquisitions from France, Spain, and Mexico.
  • By War and Annexation: Primarily involving Mexico.
  • By Treaty: Agreements with Britain.
  • By Migration: Movement of settlers into new territories.

Phases of Territorial Expansion

  • 1st Stage: Expansion to the Mississippi River.
  • 2nd Stage: Expansion to Louisiana.
  • 3rd Stage: Expansion to North Dakota and Florida.
  • 4th Stage: Expansion to the Gulf of Mexico.
  • 5th Stage: Expansion to the coast of the Pacific Ocean.
  • 6th Stage: Expansion to Alaska.
  • 7th Stage: Expansion to the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Chronological Chart of US Territorial Expansion in the 19th Century

  • 1783: East of Mississippi River and south of Canada (from Britain) - By treaty
  • 1803: Louisiana (from France) - By purchase
  • 1818: Parts of today’s North Dakota and Minnesota (from Britain) - By treaty
  • 1819: Florida (from Spain) - By purchase
  • 1845: Texas (from Mexico) - By war and migration
  • 1846: Today's Oregon and Washington (from Britain) - By treaty
  • 1848: California (from Mexico) - By military force and purchase
  • 1867: Alaska (from Russia) - By purchase
  • 1898: Hawaii - By migration
  • 1899: Puerto Rico and Guam (from Spain) - By military force

Reasons for the Westward Movement

  • Manifest Destiny:
    • American settlers believed it was their destiny to expand throughout North America.
    • To spread and develop freely across the continent as the population grew.
    • Belief that God had given white people the mission to spread Christianity, liberty, and democracy to the West.

Manifest Destiny Painting

  • "American Progress" (1872) depicts Columbia, a female figure representing America, leading Americans westward.
  • She carries the values of republicanism, liberty, and progress, symbolized by Roman garb, technological innovations (telegraph), and cultivation of land.
  • Native peoples are shown being pushed into the darkness.

Summary of the Westward Movement

Overall Development

  • Implementation of Land Policies:
    • Policies to attract farmers and immigrants (e.g., Land Ordinance of 1785, Homestead Act of 1862).
    • Government sold lands in the West at low prices to satisfy farmers.
    • People gained permanent land ownership by farming for multiple years.
  • Development of Transportations:
    • Land Routes: Cumberland Road (1818), the first federal highway.
    • Water Routes: Erie Canal (1825), connecting the East Coast and the West.
    • Railways: US Transcontinental Railroad (1869), linking Iowa and California.

Development of New Industries

  • California Gold Rush (1850s):
    • Gold mines discovered in California.
    • 300,000 people migrated to California, promoting the development of San Francisco.
  • Silver, copper, and coal mines discovered in the West, promoting industrialization.
  • The West became the center of US textile and steel industries, providing raw materials for car manufacturing in the East in the late 19th century.
  • The development of industries attracted many immigrants from European countries, providing a cheap labor force.

Wars and Conflicts with American Indians

  • The exile of American Indians: The signing of the Indian Removal Act in 1830 took away the American Indians land ownership and forced them to migrate.
  • Wars with American Indians: Large scale persecution of American Indians were carried out since the 1860s. There were monitored by the government in their assigned reservations afterwards.

California Gold Rush (1849-1855)

  • In 1848, gold mines were discovered in California, leading to a gold rush.

Impact of the Westward Movement on Native Americans

The Indian Removal Act (1830)

  • Forced American Indians to move West of the Mississippi River, taking away their land ownership within US territory.
  • The US government sold their lands to white pioneers, which were then turned into farmlands.

Wars and Conflicts with American Indians

  • The US army attacked American Indian tribes in the West starting in the 1860s.
  • The population of American Indians decreased rapidly.
  • They were monitored by the government in their assigned reservations.
  • The Indian reservation system was created to keep Native Americans off of lands that European Americans wished to settle.

The Monroe Doctrine

Background

  • Isolation Tradition of the US:
    • The US was separated from the European Old World by the Atlantic Ocean.
    • The strength of the US at the beginning was not too powerful compared with that of European powers.
    • The US had to adopt Isolationism and refused alliance with other countries to avoid getting into the European conflicts.
  • Intervention of European Powers in America:
    • In the early 19th century, many countries gained independence in Latin America (e.g. Haiti).
    • The Congress of Vienna aimed to restore the order in Europe before the French Revolution and restore the overthrown feudal dynasties, also to divide the small states and French overseas colonies.
    • The attempted intervention by the European powers threatened the safety of the US.
    • To protect the US and Latin America from being aggressed by European powers, James Monroe promoted the Monroe Doctrine.

Main Principles

  • No country might establish new colonies in the Americas.
  • Intervention of any kind by European powers in Latin America would be considered a direct threat to the US, and would be revenged.
  • The US adopted Isolationism: the US would not intervene in European rules over their colonies, and would not participate in European affairs.

Impacts and Significance

  • Promoting Territorial Expansion:
    • US President James Polk announced that the US must speed up its westward territorial expansion to block European interventions in North America.
    • In 1847, the US army captured the Mexican capital, forcing the signing of a peace treaty that ceded a large amount of territory.
  • Including Latin America in the Sphere of Influence:
    • The Monroe Doctrine successfully blocked European interventions in Americas, keeping the countries in Latin America independent.
    • By the late 19th century, the Monroe Doctrine became an excuse for the US to intervene in Latin America.
  • Consolidation of Isolationism:
    • In the late 19th century, the US kept staying away from European affairs, making sure that its internal economy could develop stably.
    • E.g. the US stayed neutral at the beginning of the First World War and avoided massive casualties and losses.