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Louisiana Purchase
The United States purchased Louisiana from France, nearly doubling the size of their territory. This large purchase made the expansion west almost inevitable, providing more resources and space to settle, making Americans want to go after these new opportunities. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act provided money for relocating Native Americans so settlers could move into their lands. This Act made westward expansion inevitable because it made expansion easier and seem more simple for white settlers. -
Manifest Destiny
The concept of Manifest Destiny was coined by magazine editor John Louis O'Sullivan and was the belief that settlers were destined to expand to western lands. This heavily influenced Americans' desire to go westward by giving them the idea that it was their duty, making American expansion inevitable. -
The Annexation of Texas
After declaring independence from Mexico, Texas was annexed by the United States, adding a large chunk of territory to the US. This fueled settlers' desire for more land and resources, thus making their expansion westward inevitable. -
California Gold Rush
Thousands of Americans flooded into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California after the discovery of gold. More than 80,000 "Forty-Niners" arrived looking for gold. This made the expansion of the west inevitable because people wanted to move west for the possibly of getting gold. -
The Homestead Act
The Homestead Act gave an applicant ownership of land at little to no cost. This act encouraged settlers to expand westward by giving them free land. The Homestead Act drove people to move west to establish farms and develop land, contributing to the inevitable expansion of the west. -
The Transcontinental Railroad
The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 and was a railroad line that connected the eastern railroad network with the pacific. The completion of this railroad made western expansion more practical and attractive by providing a faster, safer, and more efficient way to move west. These factors contributed to America's inevitable western expansion.