Westward Expansion

Paper Summary:

This paper explores westward expansion from the standpoints of the philosophy and motivations of the settlers and the indigenous populations. It also looks at the cultural influences the settlers brought with them, the logistics of the expansion and three events that propelled the movement: the War with Mexico, the Louisiana Purchase and the California Gold Rush.

From the Paper:

"The Indian tribes that occupied the new territories were varied in their ways of life, depending upon the ecology of the area in which they lived. Great Plains Indians like the Sioux were nomadic, following the buffalo herds they hunted. The Pacific Northwest was occupied by the Nez Perce, Walla Walla and Yakama peoples who lived in villages, hunted bear, moose, elk and deer. The Navajo, Pueble and Apache peoples established agrarian societies in the harsh climates of the Southwest desert regions. The Iroquois peoples occupied the Eastern Woodlands of the Northeast, in agricultural villages. The Five Nations of what would become Oklahoma had an economy that rested on slave labor of other "people of color." However, it was the introduction of diseases, alcohol, firearms and the violation of treaties made with the Indians that destroyed their civilizations."

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