Westward March in the USA

What was the westward march in the US?

“March West ” is the name given to the process of territorial expansion that took place in the United States of America (USA) throughout the 19th century. This process was marked by both territorial expansion and the establishment of settlers/inhabitants in these new lands. During this process, the United States ceased to be a reclusive territory to that of the former thirteen colonies, reached the central plains and extended to the west coast (coast of the Pacific Ocean).

The territorial expansion of the United States began shortly after the end of the War of Independence fought against the British between 1776-1781. The ratification of the victory of the American colonists was given by the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, responsible for recognizing the independence of the thirteen colonies and the emergence of the USA as a nation.

Another consequence of this treaty was the cession by England of land to the United States. This territory stretched from the Appalachian Mountains region to the edge of the Mississippi River. The occupation of this area became controversial between colonists and England, since the English did not authorize the colonists to settle in these regions to avoid conflict with the indigenous people.

After securing independence, the Americans began a rapid occupation of these lands at the cost of the lives of thousands of indigenous people. The process of territorial expansion of the United States also took place through the purchase of territories and their conquest by war. The territories that were acquired from the purchase and diplomacy were as follows:

• Louisiana, territory bought from the French in 1803.

• Florida, territory purchased from the Spaniards in 1819.

• Alaska, bought from the Russians in 1867.

Louisiana it was a territory bought from the French at the beginning of the 19th century, in 1803. The purchase of Louisiana happened because the French needed money to finance the Napoleonic troops that were at war on the European continent. Although Napoleon Bonaparte had future plans for America, the need to put in money at that moment took precedence, and the French agreed to sell the region for 15 million dollars.

The purchase of Florida It took place in a scenario of weakening Spain, because, at that time, the European country was dealing with a series of independence movements that popped up in its colonies on the American continent. With Florida in the background, the US government began to pressure the Spanish government to sell the territory, claiming that Florida's indigenous people posed a risk.

See also: Independence of Spanish America

The Spanish government, weakened, agreed to sell the region as a way to avoid a war against the Americans. Florida was sold in 1819 for 5 million dollars, in an agreement signed in the Adams-Onís Treaty.

Finally, the last territory acquired via purchase was Alaska, obtained in agreement with the Russians in 1867. The sale of Alaska happened because Russia began to face a strong crisis in its economy after the Crimean War. Territories such as Alaska – which only caused losses – came to be seen as unwanted, and the Russians chose to sell it. William H. Seward , US Secretary of State, was responsible for the agreement in which the US agreed to pay 7.2 million dollars for the territory of Alaska.

These purchases were accompanied by a large influx of people who moved and settled in these new territories. This large volume of “empty” land was inhabited mainly thanks to incentives from the US government through the Homestead Act , or Settlement Law.

This law was instituted by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, and decreed that anyone who had an interest in settling in a land in the west could do so at a very low price. The conditions required by the government were that the assigned lot would be inhabited and cultivated for at least five years.

Also read: American Civil War

The expansion and occupation of the West by the Americans was encouraged by a belief that existed at the time, known as Manifest Destiny . In this belief, Americans held that the United States was a nation chosen by God to be great and prosperous. This belief was used as a justification to exonerate Americans from all the violence committed in this process, especially against indigenous people.

The Mexican-American War

It was not just diplomacy and purchase that the United States gained new territories for itself throughout the 19th century. American expansion also happened through war, since the Americans fought, along the way, a conflict against Mexico that lasted for two years and became known as the Mexican-American War .

The Mexican-American War took place between 1846 and 1848 and was the result of the erosion of relations between the United States and Mexico throughout the 19th century, due to the issue involving Texas. Originally, Texas was a Mexican territory that, from 1821, began to be populated by American settlers (with authorization from the Mexican government).

The American colonists, however, turned against the Mexicans' control over Texas for not accepting the laws stipulated by the government of that country, thus starting an uprising that forced Mexico to ceding Texas to the United States in the 1830s. This event created great friction between the two governments.

In the 1840s, the United States expressed interest in California, and the Mexican government declared war on the United States in defense of its territory. With another defeat, Mexico was forced to cede, in addition to California, the territory of New Mexico.

Violence against indigenous people

The American westward march was carried out throughout the 19th century and at the expense of indigenous peoples. The violence of this process resulted in the death of thousands of indigenous people and forced many others to abandon their lands and their way of life in order to survive.

From the 1830s onwards, a number of American states created laws that required Indians to withdraw from their lands in order to allow Americans to grow crops in these regions. These removal laws led to an event known as the Trail of Tears (Trail of Tears ), in which thousands of Indians had to march for many kilometers in the midst of a severe cold to settle in a new location defined by the government.

During this walk, historians estimate that up to 15,000 indigenous people died. In the central region of the United States, many indigenous people had their way of life destroyed, as they survived by hunting bison and, therefore, needed a very long strip of land.

Take the opportunity to check out our video lesson related to the subject: