Manifest Destiny

Westward ExpansionThe WestThe West was anywhere between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean-That was the Western FrontierBecause it was hard to farm in the Great Plains, the land was used for TransportationThe Northwest had fertile lands

The WestThe Southwest was owned by Mexico, and was part of the Spanish Borderlands. People in these areas were only allowed to trade with SpainThis area has a distinct culture

The WestSpanish missionaries like Junipero Serro tried to turn Native Americans into CatholicsNatives were forced to live and work at missions, may died from overwork or diseaseBuildings were and are still made with a similar look

The WestIn 1821, Mexico won their independence from SpainMexico made land grants to rancheros and removed missionaries

Because the land given often belonged to the Natives, the Indians raided ranches

The WestAmerica had been interested in Westward ExpansionThey began to believe in Manifest Destiny, which was the idea that the country should go from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Manifest Destiny cont..Definition:the belief that the United States was destined to stretch across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.7Why move????Push Factors:A force which acts to drive (push) people away from a place.

*Pull Factors:Draws (pulls) a person to a new location.8Push/Pull FactorsWith someone sitting close to you, make a T-Chart and categorize the events into push factors and pull factors.Shortage of JobsBetter Living Shortage of farm landOver Crowding Opportunity to buy cheap landGold Rush

Push FactorsPull Factors1.Shortage of jobs

2. Shortage of farmland

3.OvercrowdingBetter Living

Cheap Land

Gold Rush9Trails to the West There were many trails to the west.

Santa Fe Trail: From St. Louis to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Oregon Trail: From St. Louis to Portland, Oregon

Trails to the West John Jacob Astor established the American Fur Company in 1808 in Oregon after he traveled thereHe used information the Lewis and Clark created

Trails to the West The first people to build permanent homes in Oregon were missionariesMarcus and Narcissa Whitman tried to help the natives, but in reality land was simply stolen from the natives.When people heard there was good land, more settlers cameThis started Oregon Fever

Trails to the West Mountain men became famous.They led isolated lives in the bitter cold, intense heat animal attacksTrappers would bring their furs to a rendezvous where the mountain men would come together and bargain for the prices of furs

Trails to the West Working with only hand tools, people had to clear land, plant crops and build sheltersDiseases, accidents and natural disasters were common. Some settlers even gave up and returned east

Trails to the West Women worked with men to make their family farms successfulWomen also fought for the right to voteIn 1869, the Wyoming territory was the first that let women vote

Trails to the West Natives had an uneasy peace with the whitesAfter gold was discovered in Oregon in 1850, white and Chinese miners came into the areaWar broke out with the Natives

A Rush to the West In 1848, James Marshall found a gold nugget in a ditch in California (Sutters Mill)80,000 forty-niners ran to California to search for goldThere was both gold above ground and below ground and it the waterA Rush to the West People were fighting over water rights because the gold would move with the waterBecause of the people moving west, towns sprang upThere were vigilantes in these townsThe women who went to California mined, ran and worked in boarding houses, hotels, restaurants, laundries and stores

There was gold found in Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Arizona and NevadaAll different types of people went to CaliforniaPeople from Europe, Asia, Australia and South America

A Rush to the West Men from China came to America in hopes that they could send home moneyThey faced prejudiceThey could not get jobs in mines, they had to cook or do laundry, work on railroads or farms Thousands of free African Americans moved to CaliforniaThey had their own churches, and news papersThey ran their own businesses But they did not have equal rightsNatives had their lands stolenNearly 2/3 of the Natives that lived in California died during the Gold rush