In the 1800s, America was at a crossroads - seeking to expand west of the Mississippi, its increasing power led it to make many interesting and controversial decisions along the way to establishing and maintaining its supremacy from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Relations with the Indians turned sour as America slowly but surely stripped them of their lands. The Market Revolution brought both innovation and health hazards to both male and female workers. In the meantime, the debate over slavery led to the secession of the Confederacy from the Union, leading to the bloodiest war in American history. All of these factors led to an increasing imperialism on the part of America, which sought to own all and control all. From expanding westward to preventing the secession of half the country from itself, the Union cemented its status as an empire.
The westward expansion of America saw the Native American people slowly but surely get crushed under the advanced technology and trickery of the Europeans. This was part of American's plan for westward expansion - they needed to take care of the "Indian problem" as effectively as possible, using cunning to steal their land while inexorably crawling their way toward the Pacific. This was the doing of Andrew Jackson, who was responsible for nine of eleven treaties that removed southern tribes from their lands in the east, pushing them further west as they continued to expand - their right of occupancy was subordinate to the United States' right of discovery (Watson). In addition to the troublesome issue of slavery, these market economic forces and the rise of manifest destiny led to a rapidly growing and separating United States.
Works Cited
Watson, H.L. Liberty and Power: The Politics of Jacksonian America. Hill and Wang, 1990. Print.
