Westward Expansion: American and Foreigners' Perspectives (Book Review Sample)

The Westward Expansion
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The Westward Expansion
The movement of the United States westward impacted politics, economics and the American lives negatively and positively. The westward movement advocated for agricultural development and democracy (Manifest Destiny) in the US (Okie,2017). However, the westward movement success was hindered by the following factors;
Political conflicts were fueled by territorial disagreements. Conflicts arose over the expansion of land towards Mexico to accommodate more slaves fueled borderline disagreements. Political revolutions became frequent until Abraham Lincoln began advocating for the appreciation of humanity and freedom. Political conflicts drove the indigenous Americans to own all land. This contributed to slavery and civil war, threatening the existence of democracy. The natives regarded foreigners’ barriers to their farming.
Political differences influenced racism during the westward movement. Natives discriminated against new settlers who were different from them based on colour, age and gender. The weak United States’ policies were undermined especially by the capitalists. Freedom seekers were denied their right to have land and had little control. This betrayed some leaders’ political beliefs.
Through the westward expansion, the economic aspects of the United States were improved. Through budget allocation by the Congress, the transport sector including water transport was improved. The building of roads to the west eased migration and opened the region for settlement. This greatly attracted and encouraged the labour providers to move to the west. This resulted in increased employment opportunities and the growth of urban centres.
Unearthing gold attracted settlers and technological personnel related to the mining of gold in California. This resulted in population growth. Racial, cultural, social diversity in California contributed to by migration thus economic development. This resulted in a blend in social, cultural and racial differences. Economic development incorporated the United States government to provide support and development of infrastructure thus the involvement of the Congress in preparing financial bills.
Economic opportunities were created for women as a result of economic development during the westward movement. While husbands were toiling in the fields their counterpart gender had to take up other roles too. The United States government regulated the access and pricing of land to enhance land acquisition in the West. Agricultural equipment and machinery were innovated to increase the yields during the westward movement hence increasing the size, goods and services in the country.
Through westward expansion, individual Americans in Oregon were greatly affected by human and wildlife conflict, slowed development, geographical c