3.9 Territorial Expansion

Territorial Expansion and its Conflicts

• Territorial Expansion Objectives

  • Understand how territorial expansion led to conflicts with the British and Native Americans

  • Analyze the impact and challenges of the westward movement

  • Major land acquisitions and motivations for moving west

  • Construction of railroads and displacement of Native Americans

  • Effect on developing American character

• Expansion During the Early 1790s

  • New states joining the Union: Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio (1791-1803)

  • Territories west of the Appalachian Mountains controlled by Britain, Spain, or inhabited by Native Americans

• Struggles for Control of Western Territories

  • United States, Britain, and Spain competing for western land

  • Early U.S. government attempts at alliances with Native Americans shifted to military force

  • Initial military efforts (1791) were largely unsuccessful

• Military Defeats and Treaties

  • Defeat of U.S. troops by Miami Nation on November 4, 1791, marked a significant loss

  • President George Washington’s Proclamation recognized Native Americans’ land rights

  • Required U.S. consent for land revocation

  • Established penalties for trespassing on Native lands

• International Conflicts

  • French, British, and Spanish hostilities affecting American settlers

  • Proclamation of Neutrality issued by Washington to avoid war

  • British boarding of American vessels and seizing sailors escalated tensions

• Native American Alliances

  • Indian tribes sought alliances against U.S. expansion

  • General Anthony Wayne defeated Indian tribes at the Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)

  • Treaties signed with 12 tribes to cease hostilities and allow settlement in Ohio

• Diplomatic Achievements

  • John Jay's Treaty with Britain removed British troops and opened trade routes

  • Treaty with Spain allowed U.S. access to the Mississippi River and removal of Spanish troops

Westward Expansion in the Early 19th Century

• The Louisiana Purchase (1803)

  • Thomas Jefferson negotiated the purchase, doubling U.S. territory

  • The territory, larger than the then-existing U.S., purchased for $15 million

  • Lewis and Clark expedition explored the region from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean

• Subsequent Territorial Acquisitions

  • Florida ceded to the U.S. through a treaty

  • Texas became an independent republic and joined the Union

  • Division of the Oregon Territory between U.S. and Britain

  • War with Mexico added California and other Southwestern territories

• Geographic and Economic Influences on Expansion

  • Growth in eastern population increased demand for land

  • Fertile land in the West attracted settlers; economic opportunities (gold, logging)

• Transportation Developments

  • Railroad construction began connecting the eastern states to the West

  • In 1869, the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad decreased travel to under two weeks

Native American Displacement and Resistance

• Creation of Reservations

  • The government adopted policies to confine Native Americans to reservations

  • Many tribes moved to reservations due to drastic lifestyle changes prompted by expansion

• Impact of Westward Expansion on Native American Culture

  • Buffalo populations were drastically reduced, affecting Native American survival

  • Some tribes resisted U.S. forces, leading to bloody confrontations

• Manifest Destiny

  • The idea articulated by John L. O'Sullivan that Americans were destined to expand westward

  • Justified removal of Native Americans and conflicts with Mexico

  • Inspired many, including missionaries and pioneers, to explore and settle new lands

• American Character and Expansion

  • Expansion shaped American ideals of dreams and goals reflecting the vastness of the territory

  • Characterized by a belief in American superiority and a mission to cultivate the West

Key Question

• What was the first major purchase of land negotiated by Thomas Jefferson?
  A. Mississippi River
  B. Port Of New Orleans
  C. Florida
  D. Louisiana Purchase