Westward-Movement

AmericanWestwardMovementin19thcentury,infact,isalarge-scaleadvancementofAmericaneconomyexploitationandaterritorialexpansion.Itplaysavitalroleintheformation,thedevelopmentandthepresentsituationoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Particularly,WestwardMovementhasseepedintothisyoungnationalityonitsculturalinfluence.However,atthesametimeWestwardMovementisalsotheIndians’tragichistory（血泪史）.IsWestwardMovementcivilizedorbarbaric,successfulornot?ToanswerthesequestionsthisthesismainlyanalyzesAmericanWestwardMovementfromahistoricalangletohelpustorecognizeAmericancultureandhistory.Forthispurpose,thisthesisdiscussesWestwardMovement’sinfluencesonAmericaneconomy,itsnationalcharacteristicandtheformationofitsvalues.IntroductionAmericanWestwardMovementinthe19thcenturywastheprocessofeconomyexploitationandterritoryexpansionwagedbytheAmericansfromAppalachianMountainstothewestfromtheendof18thcenturytotheendof19thcentury.Itlastedaboutonehundredyears,andAmericanterritorywasexpandedfromthe13coloniesatthecoastoftheAtlanticOceanintheIndependenceWartothevastarea-theshoreofthePacificOcean.Thismovementwasaspaceandtime-spanning,large-scale,andfar-reachingsocialmigrant.Duringthisperiod,itmainlydevelopedagriculture.ThewestlandwasveryimportantforUSAafteritsindependence.ButforWestwardMovement,therewouldbenotoday’sAmerica.Byexpandingthenation’sborderstoincludemorethanthreemillionsquaremiles,theUnitedStatesbecameoneofthemostpowerfulnationsofthe20thcentury.Firstly,capitalisticagriculturegrewup,andthenanimalhusbandry,commerce,mining,andindustrywerefollowingup.I.ThePositiveContributionsofAmericanWestwardMovementOnonehand,thousandsuponthousandimmigrantsmovedfromeasttowest.Ontheotherhand,thewholecountrychangedfromanagriculturecountrytoanindustrialcountry.FinallyithelpedtobringaboutabirthofmodernUSA.DuringWestwardMovement,thegovernmentlaidoutaseriesofpolicies,suchasimmigrantpolicyandcapitalinvestment.Between1820～1860，aboutfivemillionimmigrantscameintoUSA,itprovidedadequatelabors.ThelandpolicyofAmericangovernmentatthatmomentprovidedinstitutionandpolicyguaranteeforpeasantstogetthesoilsanddevelopagriculture.Therefore,itpromotedthewestwardexploitation,andalsospurredUSAtoagreatagriculturecountryrapidly.During1815-1840,governmentinvested125milliondollarstoeverystateforbuilding3000miles’canal.Foranother,therewerepoliciesoffosteringdevelopmentofeducation,attractingmoreforeigninvestment,Undertheseeffectivestrategies,Americanpeopleconstantlyopenedup.Thiswestwardmovement,acrosswhatwasoftencalledtheAmericanfrontier,wasofenormoussignificance.TheynotonlycontributedtotheexpansionofAmericanterritory,influenceonAmericanpolitics，butalsoformedAmericancharacters.Atlast,thefrontierlifeinWestwardMovementbroughtplentifulsourcematerialtoAmericancultureandartinthefuture.A.PromotingAmericanEconomicDevelopmentWesternexploitationutterlychangedAmericanappearance:largequantitiesoflandswerereclaimed;alotofcapitalfarmsweresetup;thedevelopmentofagricultureinwestprovidedalargeamountoffood,materialanddomesticmarketonindustrialdevelopment;naturerecourseswereopeneduptodevelopindustries.Furthermore,tradeandtransportationhadgotnewleaps……However,recallingthehistoryofthedevelopingprocessoftheUnitedStates,thefirst13BritishcoloniesbeforeindependencehadonlyasmallplacefromAppalachianMountainstotheeastoftheAtlanticcoastalstrip.Theoutstandingnatureconditionsweremainlybroughtfortheexpansionnearly100-year-westwardmovement.B.ShapingAmericanCharacteristicsWesternuniquesurvivalrequirementformedimportantattributewhichmoldedtheAmericannationalitydispositionandthevalues,anditalsoplantedthespiritandthedreamoftheAmerican.ThefrontierexperienceencouragedthedevelopmentofcertainAmericancharacteristics.Theybuilttheirownhousesandbarnsandproducedtheirownfood.Theymadetheirowncandles,clothing,furniture,pots,tools,andothernecessities.Inaddition,frontiersofferedopportunitiesforsuccesstothosewhoworkedhard.Asaresult,pioneerstendedtobeoptimisticaboutthefutureandconcernedwithmaterialwealth.Boastfulnessandself-confidenceemergedasfrontiertraitsaswell.C.ProvidingPlentifulSourcesforAmericanCultureandArtWestwardMovementhasplayedaimportantroleinpopularculture.WesternsandthestoriesabouttheirlifeonthefrontierhavebeenpopularintheUnitedStatesandthroughouttheworld.Theexploitsandadversitiesofthosewhomovedwest,frommountainmenandcowboystowomenhomesteadersandcavalrymen,havebeenthesubjectofcountlessnovels,poems,paintings,films,andtelevisionprograms.WestwardMovementcontinuestobeapartofnationallife.onliterature.Ⅱ.TheNegativeInfluenceofAmericanWestwardMovementHowever,thisexpansionalsoresultedingreatsuffering,destruction,andculturallossfortheNativeAmericansofNorthAmerica.WestwardMovementwasthefoundationofthemoderncivilization.Itwasalsoacivilizationtramplingonothercivilizations.A.ThePainfulExperienceoftheIndiansDozensofNativeAmericantribeslivedinthewest,supportingthemselveswithmanydifferenteconomies.TribesontheGreatPlains,liketheArapahoandSioux,werehuntersandgathererswhodependedonvastherdsofbison.Westwardexpansiondepletedresourcesanddamagedtheenviron