Westward-Movement

1、AmericanWestwardMovementin19thcentury,infact,isalarge-scaleadvancementofAmericaneconomyexploitationandaterritorialexpansion.Itplaysavitalroleintheformation,thedevelopmentandthepresentsituationoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Particularly,WestwardMovementhasseepedintothisyoungnationalityonitsculturalinfluence.However,atthesametimeWestwardMovementisalsotheIndians’tragichistory（血泪史）.IsWestwardMovementcivilizedorbarbaric,successfulornot?ToanswerthesequestionsthisthesismainlyanalyzesAmericanWestwardMoveme。

2、ntfromahistoricalangletohelpustorecognizeAmericancultureandhistory.Forthispurpose,thisthesisdiscussesWestwardMovement’sinfluencesonAmericaneconomy,itsnationalcharacteristicandtheformationofitsvalues.IntroductionAmericanWestwardMovementinthe19thcenturywastheprocessofeconomyexploitationandterritoryexpansionwagedbytheAmericansfromAppalachianMountainstothewestfromtheendof18thcenturytotheendof19thcentury.Itlastedaboutonehundredyears,andAmericanterritorywasexpandedfromthe13coloniesatthecoastoftheAtlan。

3、ticOceanintheIndependenceWartothevastarea-theshoreofthePacificOcean.Thismovementwasaspaceandtime-spanning,large-scale,andfar-reachingsocialmigrant.Duringthisperiod,itmainlydevelopedagriculture.ThewestlandwasveryimportantforUSAafteritsindependence.ButforWestwardMovement,therewouldbenotoday’sAmerica.Byexpandingthenation’sborderstoincludemorethanthreemillionsquaremiles,theUnitedStatesbecameoneofthemostpowerfulnationsofthe20thcentury.Firstly,capitalisticagriculturegrewup,andthenanimalhusbandry,comme。

4、rce,mining,andindustrywerefollowingup.I.ThePositiveContributionsofAmericanWestwardMovementOnonehand,thousandsuponthousandimmigrantsmovedfromeasttowest.Ontheotherhand,thewholecountrychangedfromanagriculturecountrytoanindustrialcountry.FinallyithelpedtobringaboutabirthofmodernUSA.DuringWestwardMovement,thegovernmentlaidoutaseriesofpolicies,suchasimmigrantpolicyandcapitalinvestment.Between1820～1860，aboutfivemillionimmigrantscameintoUSA,itprovidedadequatelabors.ThelandpolicyofAmericangovernmentattha。

5、tmomentprovidedinstitutionandpolicyguaranteeforpeasantstogetthesoilsanddevelopagriculture.Therefore,itpromotedthewestwardexploitation,andalsospurredUSAtoagreatagriculturecountryrapidly.During1815-1840,governmentinvested125milliondollarstoeverystateforbuilding3000miles’canal.Foranother,therewerepoliciesoffosteringdevelopmentofeducation,attractingmoreforeigninvestment,Undertheseeffectivestrategies,Americanpeopleconstantlyopenedup.Thiswestwardmovement,acrosswhatwasoftencalledtheAmericanfrontier,was。

6、ofenormoussignificance.TheynotonlycontributedtotheexpansionofAmericanterritory,influenceonAmericanpolitics，butalsoformedAmericancharacters.Atlast,thefrontierlifeinWestwardMovementbroughtplentifulsourcematerialtoAmericancultureandartinthefuture.A.PromotingAmericanEconomicDevelopmentWesternexploitationutterlychangedAmericanappearance:largequantitiesoflandswerereclaimed;alotofcapitalfarmsweresetup;thedevelopmentofagricultureinwestprovidedalargeamountoffood,materialanddomesticmarketonindustrialdevel。

7、opment;naturerecourseswereopeneduptodevelopindustries.Furthermore,tradeandtransportationhadgotnewleaps……However,recallingthehistoryofthedevelopingprocessoftheUnitedStates,thefirst13BritishcoloniesbeforeindependencehadonlyasmallplacefromAppalachianMountainstotheeastoftheAtlanticcoastalstrip.Theoutstandingnatureconditionsweremainlybroughtfortheexpansionnearly100-year-westwardmovement.B.ShapingAmericanCharacteristicsWesternuniquesurvivalrequirementformedimportantattributewhichmoldedtheAmericannatio。

8、nalitydispositionandthevalues,anditalsoplantedthespiritandthedreamoftheAmerican.ThefrontierexperienceencouragedthedevelopmentofcertainAmericancharacteristics.Theybuilttheirownhousesandbarnsandproducedtheirownfood.Theymadetheirowncandles,clothing,furniture,pots,tools,andothernecessities.Inaddition,frontiersofferedopportunitiesforsuccesstothosewhoworkedhard.Asaresult,pioneerstendedtobeoptimisticaboutthefutureandconcernedwithmaterialwealth.Boastfulnessandself-confidenceemergedasfrontiertraitsaswell。

9、.C.ProvidingPlentifulSourcesforAmericanCultureandArtWestwardMovementhasplayedaimportantroleinpopularculture.WesternsandthestoriesabouttheirlifeonthefrontierhavebeenpopularintheUnitedStatesandthroughouttheworld.Theexploitsandadversitiesofthosewhomovedwest,frommountainmenandcowboystowomenhomesteadersandcavalrymen,havebeenthesubjectofcountlessnovels,poems,paintings,films,andtelevisionprograms.WestwardMovementcontinuestobeapartofnationallife.onliterature.Ⅱ.TheNegativeInfluenceofAmericanWestwardMovem。

10、entHowever,thisexpansionalsoresultedingreatsuffering,destruction,andculturallossfortheNativeAmericansofNorthAmerica.WestwardMovementwasthefoundationofthemoderncivilization.Itwasalsoacivilizationtramplingonothercivilizations.A.ThePainfulExperienceoftheIndiansDozensofNativeAmericantribeslivedinthewest,supportingthemselveswithmanydifferenteconomies.TribesontheGreatPlains,liketheArapahoandSioux,werehuntersandgathererswhodependedonvastherdsofbison.Westwardexpansiondepletedresourcesanddamagedtheenviron。