Question

what was the impact of the westward expansion of settlers in the USA

Answer 1

The white settlers first settled in the Appalachian plateau from where they moved to the Mississippi valley, and after 1860's swept in the Great Plains across the river Mississippi. Settled agriculture especially grain production was undertaken on an extensive scale largely at the expense of grasslands and forests. Forests were slashed and burnt, stumps pulled out and land cleared for cultivation.

Agrarian expansion led to displacement of local tribes. They were driven beyond the river Mississippi and later further West.

In the late 19th century American urban population expanded rapidly and the export market grew. During the world war the world market boomed; since Russian supplies were cut off due to the Russian Revolution.

The spread of railways made it easy to transport grain from wheat producing regions for export to the east coast. By 1919; nearly 74 million acres of land was under wheat cultivation in America. USA came to dominate the world market in agricultural produce and came to be called the bread basket of the world.

Westward expansion provided the impetus for development of new technologies in agriculture, to meet the requirements of new habitats and land.

Ploughs were modified, disk ploughs, tractors and mechanical reaper were invented.

Westward expansion thus led to US emerging as the breadbasket of the world and to increased mechanisation of agriculture.

person

Aareen , Student

Member since Dec 09 2014

Westward expansion meant that the US acquired ever increasing amounts of land, and needed people, farmers, to settle there so it could maintained without a huge military presence. This led to massive immigration in the second half of the 19th century, as mostly Europeans came here seeking to finally have their own land.

It also added vast resources to the United States, both in terms of potential agricultural production and things like gold, silver and timber.

It stimulated the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and added new states to the country.

It further aggravated the divide between north and south, and accelerated the onset of the Civil War