Before the beginning of the 19th century the number of Americans residing past the Mississippi River were inconsequential. The few who had were mostly tradesmen in the fur business, with small families; some were involved with the trade of exporting sea-otter skins to China as well. Mexicans and the Native Americans however, were the majority in the West.
Spain had control over Mexico until 1821, when Mexico declared independence. Though we did not cover it, why or rather how exactly did Mexico gain independence against a relatively strong imperial power?
However, Mexico did acquire much of the land Spain had controlled past the Louisiana Purchase. To the benefit of Americans Mexico was incapable of governing their distant population and protecting the land they inhabited. With such a weak government Americans learned they could migrate further westward much easier than they had before. Along with the southwest becoming increasingly available the Oregon territory was close behind. Originally over five countries had claims on the Oregon Territory, but negotiations in 1819 and 1824 boiled it down to just America and Great Britain – making it easier not only for Americans to start migrating there in larger numbers but also increasing their chances at soon owning that territory. From other countries deciding to withdraw their claims (in such a profitable land) one could infer that although they may have had a substantial amount of their people located there or a profitable business, it was no match for the number of British and Americans coming in.
As mentioned earlier there were those Americans whom penetrated the Trans-Mississippi West about 40 years before masses did. However because the Native population was still very large at that time they could pose a threat, possibly influencing the migrating Americans to form alliances with them. Those who did move out there were also more likely to be less afraid (than those on the east coast for example) and less prejudice toward the Natives because they knew how many still resided far out west. To stick with the decision of going out there meant they had come to terms of realizing they were people, who were using the land too. Though some early migrants included families many of them were young single men attracted by the opportunities in the fur trade and sea-otter-skin business; as a result they did marry Indian women and did assimilate into their culture/society.
Missionaries were also among some of the first to migrate westward, revealing some Americans’ interest and determination in educating, and civilizing the Native Americans to assimilate them into the American culture. Missionaries such as the whitmans paved the way for future missionary projects to make further success however little it may have increased. Europe was even involving themselves in missionary processes by sending Roman-Catholic priests to work among the native peoples… now why would they be trying to help in the assimilation of indians? If missionary missions were successful how would that benefit people millions of miles away in Europe?
As a few years passed tensions rose as a result from thousands moving west. Fore after Mexico declared its independence in 1821 it did not take long for flocks of Americans to migrate west in pursuit of their dreams. Among the large numbers of white Americans settling in the trans-mississippi west (specifically Oklahoma) were the South and the Old North-west tribes (who were driven there by the American government). “Ironically some of these tribes acted as agents of white civilization by introducing cotton, the plantation system, black slavery and schools.” Plains Indians found this practice atrocious and were appalled by the eastern Indians’ actions, naturally conflict erupted between the two different nations. While these tensions were building and erupting in small fights whites continued to push further west. Not before long there grew a popularity of literature providing detailed advantageous information for immigrants and emigrants alike. Lansford Hastings’s “Emigrants Guide to Oregon and California” (1845) suggest the hot topic of the era.
On top of all of the people whom had already moved onto the newly acquired land (legally or illegally acquired) and the energy produced by the movement the definition of manifest destiny quickly became a national characteristic.”Manifest Destiny” was the term created for the Americans to justify all they did in regard to obtain western land, coined in 1845 by John O’ Sullivan. Through MANIFEST DESTINY people believed it was their god given right (of the white people) to expand from coast to coast…. (because they were superior to all else).
In the meantime nother chunk of Mexican land became available to U.S. citizens in 1853 with the Gadsden Purchase. By this time America had gained quite a bit of land and was expanding rapidly; they were pushing natives off of their forefathers’ land, acquiring Mexican territory and overpopulating what it had left, as well as bringing industrialization wherever they went.
“By the 1840s, the successful absorption of the Louisiana territory, rapid population growth, and advances in transportation, communication, and industry bolstered the idea of national superiority”….
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