Westward-Expansion(西进运动)

WestwardExpansionI.BriefIntroductionII.TheCausesofWestwardMovementIII.TheprogressofWestwardMovementIV.TheinfluencesofWestwardMovementContents:WestwardExpansionisamovementofpeoplefromthesettledregionsoftheUnitedStatestolandsfartherwest.Betweentheearly17thandlate19thcenturies,Anglo-AmericanpeopleandtheirsocietyexpandedfromtheAtlanticCoasttothePacificCoast.Itplaysavitalroleintheformation,thedevelopmentandthepresentsituationoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Particularly,WestwardExpansionhasseepedintothisyoungnationalityinthesphereofculturalinfluence.However,atthesametimeWestwardExpansionisalsotheIndians’tragichistory.I.BriefIntroductionII.TheCausesofWestwardMovement•LargePopulation•CaliforniaGoldRush•Cheap,FertileLand•FreedomforRunawayfrom•Asearlyasin1820’stherewasfloodofnewimmigrantsfromEuropetotheUnitedStates.Thenthestreamofimmigrationcontinued.Between1815and1830over500,000EuropeanscameintotheUnitedStates.Theyhadexpectedtoliveabetterlife,buttheyfoundthemselvesstillpoorinthecrowdedNortheast.Astheyweredissatisfiedwiththeconditionsathome,theyhopedtofindamorefavorableenvironmentonthefrontier.•GoldwasdiscoveredinCaliforniainthe1840s.ThisrushmadelotsofpeoplemoveWestwiththehopesofbecomingrich!•Asforthelocalfarmers,theyhadnobetterlifeandtheylosttheirlandpieceafterpiecebecauseoflandspeculation.Sotheymovedwesttothevastareaofwildernesswherethelandwascheapandgreatforfarming.•SlavesfromtheSouthcouldhavefreedominthenewwesternterritorieswheretheysettledinallblackcommunitiesfreefromwhiteprejudice.III.TheprogressofWestwardMovement•Thewestwardmovementbeganintheearly1600'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.IV.TheinfluencesofWestwardMovement•ItstimulatedthedevelopmentofAmericanwest.Itprovidesamplelaborsandwealthfortheexploration,anditlaidafirmfoundationforcapitalisticdevelopmentofAmerican.•ItutterlychangedAmericanappearance:largequantitiesofbarrenlandswerereclaimed;alotofcapitalfarmsweresetup;thedevelopmentofagricultureinwestprovidedalargeamountoffood,materialanddomesticmarketonindustrialdevelopment;naturerecourseswereopeneduptodevelopedindustries.Byexpandingthenation’sborderstoincludemorethanthreemillionsquaremiles,theUnitedStatesbecameoneofthemostpowerfulcountriesofthe20thcentury.•ItShapingAmericanCharacteristics.WesternuniquesurvivalrequirementformedimportantattributewhichmoldedtheAmericannationalitydispositionandvalues,anditalsoplantedthespiritandthedreamoftheAmerican.Thevastfieldofwestandtheculturaldifferenceprovidedanopportunityfordevelopmentofindividualism.UnderthegivenconditionofWestwardMovement,andthecompetitionofthesocietyhasfosteredAmericanpeople’spragmatism.•ProvidingPlentifulSourcesforAmericanCultureandArt.WestwardMovementhasplayedapremierroleinpopularculture.WesternsandthestoriesabouttheirlifeonthefrontierhavebeenpopularintheUnitedStatesandthroughouttheworld•However,thisexpansionalsoresultedingreatsuffering,destruction,andculturallossfortheNativeAmericansofNorthAmerica.••