Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion

America has a vast and a rich history of Expansions and migrations. The country also had a mix of different cultures. Indians on the west coast mostly lived from fishing. The original inhabitants were absolutely not primitive, a notion that long persisted through the technological backwardness they had on the Europeans. Their societies were often very complicated, however, they had characteristics were are also present in European societies. There was a clear leader of each community and the Indians had gods they worshiped. Technologically, certain groups of Indians dominated the construction of small boats and canoes. Others were masters in agriculture or were great hunters.

In 1803, United State's population was approximately 5.3 million. The nation was in its early stages of growth. People were not used to of travelling for long distances, and they started feeling the pull of the West and migrations to the valleys of the Ohio River and Mississippi River. After independence in 1776, four states were added to the Union. Ohio was added on 1st March, 1803, while six years later, France sold Louisiana Territory, which is at the west of Mississippi, to United States. This integration doubled the size of young nation and it allowed eventual expansion across the continent to the Pacific Coast.

Certainly Jefferson was aware of the situation and he predicted this expansion, but he was not aware of the scale and extent of the expansion. Once the Louisiana Purchase had been agreed, it was important to carry out two important things. The state had to explore and map new territories and also had to deal with the Indians who lived within its boundaries. Jefferson was not worried about foreign interference as Great Britain and France were preoccupied with the Napoleonic War.

Jefferson's policy was very simple. ...