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WestwardMovementisamovementofpeoplefromthesettledregionsoftheUnitedStatestolandsfartherwest.Betweentheearly17thandlate19thcenturies,Anglo-AmericanpeopleandtheirsocietyexpandedfromtheAtlanticCoasttothePacificCoast.Itplaysavitalroleintheformation,thedevelopmentandthepresentsituationoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Particularly,WestwardMovementhasseepedintothisyoungnationalityinthesphereofculturalinfluence.However,atthesametimeWestwardMovementisalsotheIndians’tragichistory.ThecausesofWestwardMovement1.LargePopulation.Asearlyasin1820’stherewasfloodofnewimmigrantsfromEuropetotheUnitedStates.Thenthestreamofimmigrationcontinued.Between1815and1830over500000EuropeanscameintotheUnitedStates.Theyhadexpectedtoliveabetterlife,buttheyfoundthemselvesstillpoorinthecrowdedNortheast.Astheyweredissatisfiedwiththeconditionsathome,theyhopedtofindamorefavorableenvironmentonthefrontier.2.CaliforniaGoldRush.GoldwasdiscoveredinCaliforniainthe1840s.ThisrushmadelotsofpeoplemoveWestwiththehopesofbecomingrich!3.Cheap,FertileLand.Asforthelocalfarmers,theyhadnobetterlifeandtheylosttheirlandpieceafterpiecebecauseoflandspeculation.Sotheymovedwesttothevastareaofwildernesswherethelandwascheapandgreatforfarming.4.FreedomforRunawayfromSlaves.SlavesfromtheSouthcouldhavefreedominthenewwesternterritorieswheretheysettledinallblackcommunitiesfreefromwhiteprejudice.TheprogressofWestwardMovementThewestwardmovementbeganintheearly1600'swithEuropeansettlementsalongtheAtlanticCoastofNorthAmerica.Itcontinueduntilthelate1800's.First,someillegalimmigrantswentintowest,andthenAmericangovernmentbringstheseareasintotheircontrol.Then,manypioneerslocatedintheseareas.Atfirst,pioneerswerelocatedintheeastofMississippiRiver.Intheearly19thcentury,Americaexpendeditsterritorybythewayofbuyingandinvasion.In1803,AmericangovernmentboughttheLouisianafromFrench.Fromtheearlyageof19thcentury,theimmigrantsmovetothewestofMississippiRiver.Bythemid-1840's,adventurouspioneershadreachedwhatarenowCaliforniaandOregonintheFarWest.ThelastfrontierwastheGreatPlainsbetweentheMissouriRiverandtheRockyMountains.Thesettlementofthatregionbeganinthe1860's.In1862,Lincolnpromulgatedthehomesteadlawandmadethewestwardmovementreachthepeak.AmericanWestwardMovementisnotonlytheprocessoforiginalaccumulationofcapitalinthedevelopmentofcapitalism,butalsotheprocessofpromotingextensiveexploitationofthewestandrapiddevelopmentofeconomy.TheinfluencesofWestwardMovement1.ItstimulatedthedevelopmentofAmericanwest.Itprovidesamplelaborsandwealthfortheexploration,anditlaidafirmfoundationforcapitalisticdevelopmentofAmerican.2.ItutterlychangedAmericanappearance:largequantitiesofbarrenlandswerereclaimed;alotofcapitalfarmsweresetup;thedevelopmentofagricultureinwestprovidedalargeamountoffood,materialanddomesticmarketonindustrialdevelopment;naturerecourseswereopeneduptodevelopedindustries.Byexpandingthenation’sborderstoincludemorethanthreemillionsquaremiles,theUnitedStatesbecameoneofthemostpowerfulcountriesofthe20thcentury.3.ItShapingAmericanCharacteristics.WesternuniquesurvivalrequirementformedimportantattributewhichmoldedtheAmericannationalitydispositionandvalues,anditalsoplantedthespiritandthedreamoftheAmerican.Thevastfieldofwestandtheculturaldifferenceprovidedanopportunityfordevelopmentofindividualism.UnderthegivenconditionofWestwardMovement,andthecompetitionofthesocietyhasfosteredAmericanpeople’spragmatism.4.ProvidingPlentifulSourcesforAmericanCultureandArt.WestwardMovementhasplayedapremierroleinpopularculture.WesternsandthestoriesabouttheirlifeonthefrontierhavebeenpopularintheUnitedStatesandthroughouttheworld5.However,thisexpansionalsoresultedingreatsuffering,destruction,andculturallossfortheNativeAmericansofNorthAmerica