What was westward expansion?

Westward expansion was the movement of settlers from the east coast of the United States to areas further west such as the Midwest and the Great Plains during the 19th century.

This movement was driven by a belief in Manifest Destiny, which held that it was the divine right of the United States to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean.

The Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which added more than 800,000 square miles of land to the United States, was an important step in the westward expansion.

The Oregon Trail was a popular route for settlers heading west in the 1840s, with more than 400,000 people making the journey.

The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought a large influx of settlers to the West Coast.

By the end of the 19th century, most of the Native American tribes had been relocated to reservations in the West.

The Homestead Act of 1862 provided free land to settlers if they lived on it and farmed it for five years.

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