OCR Specification focus:
‘the impact of the Federal Government on westward expansion, e.g. Louisiana Purchase, Florida, Texas, Oregon, Gadsden Purchase, War with Mexico, admission of new states to the Union, Federal Government and’
The Federal Government played a decisive role in shaping the trajectory of westward expansion, using diplomacy, legislation, war, and infrastructure development to extend the boundaries and influence of the United States.
Federal Government and Territorial Acquisition
The Louisiana Purchase (1803)
The Louisiana Purchase was one of the most significant actions taken by the Federal Government to open the West. Negotiated under President Thomas Jefferson, the purchase from France doubled the size of the United States, adding vast tracts of fertile land and natural resources. It also provided control of the Mississippi River and New Orleans, vital for trade.
Florida (1819)
Through the Adams–Onís Treaty with Spain, the United States acquired Florida. This acquisition secured the southern border and removed a potential refuge for escaped enslaved people and Native American groups resisting U.S. expansion.
Texas (Annexation 1845)
The annexation of Texas represented both opportunity and controversy. Texas had declared independence from Mexico in 1836, but its admission into the Union raised tensions due to the issue of slavery. Its addition ultimately contributed to the outbreak of war with Mexico.
Oregon Territory (1846)
The Oregon Treaty with Britain resolved competing claims in the Pacific Northwest. The slogan “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!” reflected expansionist sentiment, but a compromise was reached at the 49th parallel, avoiding conflict while securing fertile land and access to the Pacific.
Gadsden Purchase (1854)
The Gadsden Purchase secured land in modern-day southern Arizona and New Mexico. Though relatively small, it was crucial for facilitating plans for a southern transcontinental railroad, reflecting the Federal Government’s role in supporting economic expansion.
War and Expansion
The Mexican-American War (1846–1848)
The War with Mexico was a turning point in territorial expansion. Victory granted the United States vast new lands in the Southwest under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. These included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and New Mexico. This immense gain intensified debates over slavery’s expansion, sharpening sectional divides.
A clearly labelled map of the Mexican Cession (1848), showing the lands ceded to the United States at the end of the Mexican–American War. It places the cession in relation to existing states and territories to clarify the federal impact on the continental map. Source
DEFINITION
Manifest Destiny: The 19th-century belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, spreading democracy and civilisation.
Admission of New States
The Federal Government oversaw the transformation of territories into states, a process tied closely to political balance between North and South.
Missouri Compromise (1820): Allowed Missouri’s admission as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining sectional balance in the Senate.
Texas (1845), California (1850), Kansas (1861): Each admission reignited national debates over slavery and sectionalism.
California Gold Rush (1848–1855): Federal oversight of migration and admission of California demonstrated how economic opportunities influenced rapid statehood.
The admission process highlighted how the Federal Government mediated between competing sectional interests while also consolidating control over new territories.
Federal Support for Infrastructure
Roads, Railways, and Telegraph
The Federal Government invested in infrastructure to support settlement and economic integration:
Cumberland Road (National Road): The first federally funded highway, linking the eastern states with western territories.
Railways: Federal land grants to railway companies facilitated the building of transcontinental railroads, integrating distant regions into the national economy.
Telegraph: Supported communication across vast distances, enhancing governance and coordination.
These projects symbolised the government’s active role in binding the expanding nation together.
Internal Improvements: Government-funded infrastructure projects, such as roads, canals, and later railways, intended to promote economic growth and national integration.
Federal Policy and Native Americans
Federal expansion often came at the expense of Native American nations. The acquisition of new territories placed increased pressure on Native peoples, leading to:
Forced removal under government policies such as the Indian Removal Act (1830).
Expansion of military presence in newly acquired regions to suppress resistance.
Federal treaties that often dispossessed Native groups of ancestral lands.
Though often framed as necessary for settlement and progress, these actions represented the Federal Government’s decisive role in displacing Native Americans to facilitate westward growth.
Political Implications of Expansion
Sectional Conflict
The Federal Government’s role in expansion intensified sectional tensions between North and South. Each new acquisition reopened debates over the spread of slavery, exemplified by:
The Compromise of 1850, attempting to balance free and slave state interests.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which allowed popular sovereignty, leading to violent conflict known as “Bleeding Kansas.”
Strengthening Federal Authority
The process of acquiring, governing, and integrating new territories expanded the power of the Federal Government. By directing territorial organisation, infrastructure, and foreign policy, the central state increasingly shaped national destiny.
Cultural and Ideological Dimensions
Federal actions were closely tied to the ideology of Manifest Destiny, which justified territorial expansion as both inevitable and divinely ordained. This belief underpinned:
Diplomatic negotiations for land.
Military campaigns for conquest.
Government promotion of settlement and farming in newly acquired regions.
The Federal Government’s decisions thus not only expanded physical territory but also embedded expansionist ideology in national identity.
FAQ
Many critics argued the Constitution did not explicitly grant the President power to purchase territory, raising questions of legality.
Federalists feared it would weaken their political influence, as new western states were expected to support Jefferson’s Democratic-Republicans.
Others worried about the cost and governance of such a vast, sparsely populated land.
The treaty not only transferred Florida but also clarified boundaries between U.S. territory and Spanish possessions in the West.
It reduced tensions with Spain and limited cross-border conflict.
For Native Americans, it marked increased U.S. control, as Florida had been a refuge for groups like the Seminoles resisting American expansion.
The annexation of Texas was divisive because Texas permitted slavery.
Southern politicians supported annexation, hoping to expand slaveholding territory.
Northern politicians opposed it, fearing an imbalance in Congress favouring slave states.
This controversy directly foreshadowed later sectional disputes over expansion.
While expansionists demanded control up to latitude 54°40′, the U.S. settled for the 49th parallel.
The decision avoided war with Britain, but disappointed those who saw aggressive expansion as America’s destiny.
Nevertheless, it secured access to valuable farmland and a Pacific outlet without bloodshed.
The land offered a flatter route for a possible southern transcontinental railway, but it also:
Clarified the U.S.–Mexico boundary after disputes following the Mexican-American War.
Provided more secure passage for traders and settlers moving westwards.
Strengthened U.S. military positioning in the Southwest, reducing Mexican influence near the frontier.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Name two territories acquired by the United States federal government during the first half of the nineteenth century.
Mark scheme:
1 mark for each correct territory named (maximum 2 marks).
Acceptable answers include: Louisiana Purchase, Florida, Texas, Oregon Territory, Gadsden Purchase.
Do not credit territories acquired after 1860 (e.g. Alaska).
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain how the federal government contributed to the westward expansion of the United States before 1850.
Mark scheme:
Level 1 (1–2 marks): Limited description with little detail, e.g. vague references to “buying land” or “fighting wars” without explanation.
Level 2 (3–4 marks): Some explanation with relevant examples, e.g. mentions the Louisiana Purchase or the admission of Texas, but explanations may lack depth or range.
Level 3 (5–6 marks): Clear and developed explanation with supporting examples, e.g. explains how the Louisiana Purchase doubled U.S. territory, how the Adams–Onís Treaty secured Florida, and how federal diplomacy and annexation of Texas further extended U.S. borders. May also refer to federal infrastructure support such as the Cumberland Road.
Credit should be awarded for both range and depth of explanation, not just listing of examples.
