The Westward Expansion: Trails, Treaties, and the Gold Rush of the Early 1800s
The early 1800s saw a massive migration west of the Appalachian Mountains, driven by overcrowding on the East Coast. States like Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and parts of Michigan were settled as Americans sought new opportunities. Treaties such as the Pinckney Treaty and the Adams-Onis Treaty reshaped boundaries and facilitated the movement of U.S. citizens into territories previously held by Spain. Believing in Manifest Destiny, Americans pursued the Oregon Country, leading to a gold rush that transformed California and brought significant demographic changes, leaving lasting impacts on Native American cultures.
The Westward Expansion: Trails, Treaties, and the Gold Rush of the Early 1800s
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Chapter 7 Section 2 Trails to the West
Trans-Appalachia • The area west of the Appalachian Mountains • Attracted people that wanted to escape overcrowding
What areas did Americans settle in the early 1800s? • Kentucky • Indiana • Ohio • Michigan Territory
Pinckney Treaty • Set southern boundary of the U.S. (Left Florida to Spain) • U.S. citizens free to use Mississippi R. through Spanish territory • Spanish and the U.S. would control Native Americans in their own territories
Adams-Onis Treaty • Spain agreed to cede (give up) Florida to the U.S. • Established border between Louisiana Purchase and Spanish land in the West • U.S. handed over huge portion of current territory in SW to Spain
Why did Spain cede Florida to the United States? Americans already occupied Florida, so Spain saw little hope in keeping it They decided to get whatever they could in exchange for land they would lose anyway
Manifest Destiny • Belief that it was the United States to possess the entire North American continent
Oregon Country • Northern California to southern border of Alaska • Mountainous • Forested • Fertile valleys • Claimed by the U.S., Briatain, Russia and Spain • Russia and Spain eventually back out
Mountain Men • Men that roamed the Rocky Mountains in search of beaver pelts • Adopted Indian ways • Married Indian women • Used Indian trails that led to Oregon and California
How did Manifest Destiny shape American attitudes regarding the Oregon Country? • Americans began to believe it was their right to possess the Oregon Country • So they began to aggressively pursue the acquisition of the territory
Oregon Trail • The main route across the central plains and Rocky Mountains • Could take 4 to 6 months • $500 to $1,000 to make the trip
Why did people head west? • Missionary work • Land challenge • Land • Trade • Smaller population
Santa Fe Trail • Route traders used to get goods to Mexican Territory
California Gold Rush • January 1848- Gold discovered • 4,000 prospectors there by August • Attracted settlers to California • California: 14,000 residents in 1848; 200,000 by 1852
Unmarried • White • From the eastern U.S.
Ghost Towns • Mining towns boomed during the gold rush • People left when the mines stopped producing towns slowly decayed and died.
Brought hundreds of thousands of people to California Transformed San Francisco to a major commercial center Destroyed much of what was left of Native American cultures
