Precarious Experiment, A: Western Expansion
The Confederation's most significant accomplishment during the 1780s is the resolution of at least some of the controversies related to western lands. Much of the frontier land had been acquired by land speculators who advertise it and attempt to se...
Legendary Frontier, The: Myths and Myth Makers
By the end of the Civil War, the West is already legendary. It is looked upon as a "frontier" rather than the great American desert, an empty land awaiting settlement and civilization, a place for fresh beginnings and bold undertakings. The great my...
Pressures from Within: Population Surge West of Appalachians
Once the War of 1812 diminishes the threat of Indian uprisings, there is a dramatic surge in population west of the Appalachians, particularly in the region known as the "Old Northwest." Indians who had moved to the Ohio and Tennessee valleys when t...
Pressures from Within: National Crises of 1819 and 1820 Threaten Country
1819 experiences a major economic downturn in which people lose their homes, farms and businesses. Land values, inflated by speculation, collapse. The instability of banks operating with very little of the kind of insurances financial systems now po...
Pressures from Within: Presidency of James Monroe
The Republicans have no trouble electing yet another Virginia candidate in 1816. It isn't even much of a contest. James Monroe, former secretary of state and Revolutionary War veteran is 61 years old when he takes office. Monroe's cabinet includes b...
Pressures from Within: U. S. Tilts Toward Nationalism in Final Years of Monroe's Administration
During the Monroe years as president battles continue between those who favor a strong federal government and those who are suspicious of centralized control. In almost every instance, the decisions of the Supreme Court tilt the scale toward nationa...
Pressures from Within: Fur Trading in Northwest Territories
In the territories that had been explored by Lewis and Clark, the big news is fur trading, a lucrative business which produces the country's first millionaire, John Jacob Astor. Some species are overhunted as a result of the market for furs. The fur...
Meeting Ground, The: West's Long History as a Meeting Ground, The
To many 19h century Americans the West is a vast untamed frontier, a place were rugged pioneers are carving out a new social order. In reality the Great Plains of the United States has been a meeting ground for thousands of years, a place of converg...
From Days Before Time: Spanish Engage in Slavery to Fill Labor Needs
Although the conquistadors continue to search for riches in other Aztec-like empires, they soon find a more tangible incentive in the conscription of a slave labor force for their Caribbean colonies. The Spanish and the Portuguese are among the firs...
Best Laid Plans...: Initial Impact of Louisiana Purchase
The addition of the Louisiana territory doubles the size of the nation. Few Americans, including Jefferson really know what they have bought or what to do with it. Jefferson sends Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and a few dozen men on an historic...