Document based question pertaining to American expansionism.

Details why the Western Expansion is such an important part of American History. Tells of the hardships explorers faced and how they overcame the seemingly impossible.

Between the 1840's and 1890's, many Americans moved west beyond the Mississippi River. The ability to own land was a great draw for many people but there were other reasons as well. However, the main reason was the Homestead Act of 1862. This allowed western settlers to obtain 160 acres of land for free as long as they built a home, worked the land, and actually lived on it. There were also other acts passed that added on to the Homestead Act. The Timber Culture Act in 1873 allowed for an extra 160 acres if you planted trees on a quarter of the plot. The Desert Land Act allowed one to buy land at $1.25 per acre as long as the land gets irrigated. Also, in 1878 the Timber and Stone Act was passed which allowed for the purchase of land unfit for cultivation at low cost. Although these were the greatest draws to the west, gold and a romanticized idea of the west and cowboys lured many beyond the Mississippi.

The westward expansion of the United States negatively affected the Native American and Mexican American inhabitants of the West. Both encountered the outright taking of land by Anglo-American newcomers, and both fought losing battles in an effort to maintain their land, their rights, and their social standing.

Discusses American post Civil War expansion. Describes the challenges of the frontier and the plight of the poor, which drove the movement westward.

Louisiana Purchase, manifest destiny, and Compromise of 1850.