Westward Expansion Flashcards
What was manifest Destiny?
. Was essentially the belief that it was American’s god given right to settle the rest of the continent.
How did Westward expansion damage the position of Native Americans before/ by 1865?
. The American government was encouraging American expansion via Manifest Destiny, as a result many Native Americans were removed from their traditional lands.
. The discovery of gold and other valuable materials caused an increased number of settlers to move west therefore displacing a number of tribes and causing them to lose traditional ways of life and as a result these tribes died out.
. Large scale hunting of the buffalo began during this period therefore restricting Native access to their biggest resource.
What was the Homestead Act?
. This act gave farmers a 160 acre plot of land, free of charge on the condition they agreed it for five years.
. The governments aim in passing this act was to promote further westward expansion as well as populate the region with small-scale farmers.
By the end of the major period of Westward Expansion what position were Native Americans in?
. Promises of support from the government did not always materialise due to the government being focused on the civil war.
. The railways and hunting of the buffalo led to the overall population of Natives declining via starvation.
. During the period of Westward Expansion Natives had lost a vast amount of land and certain tribes had nearly been forced into extinction.
. Ultimately, even before 1865 the culture and way of life was under serious threat.
