How America expanded 1789-1900 Flashcards
(14 cards)
Lousiana Purchase
1803 - bought from France and it added 530 million acres of land to America and 15 states.
- Encouraged westward migration as there was more land to settle on
- It gave the US control of the Mississippi River which was important for trade
Louis and Clark
1803 - Thomas Jefferson authorised an expedition to the North West of America to discover routes to the North West. find out more about America Wilderness and to fend off interest by European nations.
- Potentially open up trade routes on the West Coast to Asian Markets.
Why did White American settlers want to expand westwards?
-Believed it was America’s duty to expand westwards.
- Better Transport links which connect farmers who moved to the West with markets in the East which provided them with profit opportunities.
- New technology; attracted settlers and made farming profitable. In 1831, the mechanical grain was invented and so now farmers could farm much more efficiently.
Cotton Gin (Slavery and Cotton Plantations)
1793 - Eli Whitney - Cotton Gin ( separated cotton fibres from the seeds and made cotton farming more profitable and so many plantations in the South Est began to grow it. By 1838, America was producing one million bales of cotton per year.
- Now Slave owners needed more labour to pick the cotton and so now plantation owners purchased more African slaves and by 1838. there were 2 million slaves in the Deep South (Southern States.)
Indian Removal Act
- 1830 passed by Andrew Jackson
as part of this, the US government passed the Permanent Indian Frontier (it granted tribes land on The Great Plains in exchange for land in the east)
By doing this, the Native Americans wouldn’t seem like an irritation to white settlers who wanted the land for growing cotton
White Americans didn’t see the Plains as fit to live on due to the lack of water and harsh climate .
What was the Trail of Tears?
- 800 mile journey in winter of 1830-50, took 6 months to Oklahoma.
DIsadvantages of trail of tears
4000 out of 16000 Cherokee died, Berry’s Ferry cost money however they couldn’t afford it and many died waiting to cross.
Harsh winter, disease and starvation
Original States
13 e.g
3 News : New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire
5 Monarchs: Georgia, Maryland,Virginia, Carolinas,
Others - Rhode Island, Connecticut,Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware.
5 civilised tribes
- Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chocktaw.
States in the south
- Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Carolinas.
Northwest Territory
- Britain ceded the Northwest Territory in 1783 and it compromised of 12 new states.
-Added living space and raw materials.
Cherokee and the Indian Removal Act
- Took the government to court and won.
What was life like on the plantations?
- Long hours (16 hours) having to pick cotton
- Slaves were whipped and beaten.
- Female slaves were sexually abused.
How did some slaves resist inhumane treatment?
Ran away and Rebelled
- Worked slowly
-Damaged machinery
- Kept African culture alive through religion and music
