Benefits Of Westward Expansion

From 1776- 1900, the United States was largely regarded as the “land of opportunity”. The main contributor to this ideal opportunity was the vast frontier the United States acquired which is seen as the land of the wild with no rules in which you can make new ideas, beginning with the Louisiana Purchase that allowed many minority groups to settle west and make their own towns and farms without being persecuted. This ease expansion west eventually led to the belief in Manifest Destiny which is the ideal that the United States has the divine right stretch from the east to the west coast. These later expansions allowed many minority groups to escape persecution, and gave the common man the ability to own land and rise above their station. The …show more content…
Disease was a large issue in westward travel because of little to no sanitation leading to deaths from diseases such as typhoid and cholera. The lack of doctors or medicine led to settlers dying by the hundreds allowing the diseases to spread rapidly. Other hardships settlers faced were lack of fresh fruits and vegetables which led to scurvy and crossing rough terrains such as rivers and mountains. The rough terrain led to wagons being crushed or stuck along with the possibility of injury which could be fatal because of the lack of antibiotics or …show more content…
The new settlers didn’t have to pay a dime in order to have a chance at free land which allowed poor Americans to have a chance at starting their own farm. These largely poor or shunned groups moved west allowing them to gain fairer treatment and have the ability to move up in the world because of the vast frontier that they could purchase land or work on. Many Irish immigrants were able to purchase farms, and the Mormons found a permanent home in the west to peacefully practice their religion. These minority groups gaining success caused America to be seen as the “land of opportunity” because despite being shunned minorities these groups were able to be successful because of the frontier. This push for westward expansion led to the term “the American Dream” or the ideal that anyone who works hard enough can succeed which continues throughout American history. This idea of working hard will allow you to succeed began with the original Americans who came from Britain for religious freedom and to work hard to rise above their station to become successful, and this ideal continues to shape our society