A brief history of The Wild west
Westward expansion is part of Americana; Manifest Destiny, etc.. Manifest Destiny was more of an attitude rather than related to any one particular piece of policy. Manifest Destiny is tied in with American Exceptionalism and Romantic Democracy, as well as a Jacksonian sort of Democracy.
From Thomas Paine: "We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the present, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of a new world is at hand..."
By 1800, the Western Frontier had reached the Mississippi River. Thomas Jefferson was extremely interested in Westward expansion, which led to the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Some years after that, came Jefferson's charge to Lewis and Clarke to explore the Missouri River.
Westward expansion really began with the War of 1812, which resulted in the extermination of countless Native people and allowed Americans to move onto their land. After the war, settlers started to pour in and settle in the frontier districts. John Jacob Astor expanded the fur trade to the Pacific Northwest, which led to further colonization there.
The Federal Government was involved, but mostly as a supporting player for Westward expansion. This made settlements in the West seem more lawless than their Eastern neighbors. However, it should be noted, that democracy played in a key role in Western settlements, towns made decisions together. Two key Government projects aided in the expansion West. The first was the US Postal system, which made it possible to send messages and receive goods when out in the frontier. The second was the Pony Express, which modernized and sped up the postal system already in place.
A desire to find new places to farm led to expansion into the Southwest. Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821, and caravans began to stretch all over Mexico (The Santa Fe Trail) to trade and to settle.
1836, and Mexico refused to recognize Texas's independence. This spurred the Mexican-American War, gaining the USA New Mexico to California. Shortly after the war, in 1846, the California Gold Rush began.
From Thomas Paine: "We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the present, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of a new world is at hand..."
By 1800, the Western Frontier had reached the Mississippi River. Thomas Jefferson was extremely interested in Westward expansion, which led to the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Some years after that, came Jefferson's charge to Lewis and Clarke to explore the Missouri River.
Westward expansion really began with the War of 1812, which resulted in the extermination of countless Native people and allowed Americans to move onto their land. After the war, settlers started to pour in and settle in the frontier districts. John Jacob Astor expanded the fur trade to the Pacific Northwest, which led to further colonization there.
The Federal Government was involved, but mostly as a supporting player for Westward expansion. This made settlements in the West seem more lawless than their Eastern neighbors. However, it should be noted, that democracy played in a key role in Western settlements, towns made decisions together. Two key Government projects aided in the expansion West. The first was the US Postal system, which made it possible to send messages and receive goods when out in the frontier. The second was the Pony Express, which modernized and sped up the postal system already in place.
A desire to find new places to farm led to expansion into the Southwest. Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821, and caravans began to stretch all over Mexico (The Santa Fe Trail) to trade and to settle.
1836, and Mexico refused to recognize Texas's independence. This spurred the Mexican-American War, gaining the USA New Mexico to California. Shortly after the war, in 1846, the California Gold Rush began.
The California gold rush
The California Gold Rush began at Sutter's Mill, near Coloma. John Sutter found gold in a river and when people nearby heard that there was gold in California. For the first couple of years, the people who came to pan for gold were not from too far from California.. However in 1848 the New York Herald published an article about the gold found in California and then President Polk confirmed it. This led to a mad dash in 1849, when "forty-niners" began to pour in and settle in order to hunt for gold. The Gold Rush led to massive population booms, for instance San Francisco grew from 200 residents in 1846 to a boomtown of about 36,000 by 1852.. The Gold Rush and greater settlement on the other coast led to increased necessity for technologies such as steam ships, telegraphs and a quick postal system.
When the Gold Rush began, California had almost no system of government, it wasn't even a state until 1850. This meant that gold was free for the taking for the 49ers. However, when California became a state, the rules changed and it became unclear who owned the gold found in American Rivers.
When the Gold Rush began, California had almost no system of government, it wasn't even a state until 1850. This meant that gold was free for the taking for the 49ers. However, when California became a state, the rules changed and it became unclear who owned the gold found in American Rivers.