Westward Expansion Research Paper

Words: 843
Pages: 4

Movement impacts people, places, and ideas in multiple, significant ways. The Westward Expansion of the United States is a prime example of the consequences that movement has on people, places, and ideas. The birth of the Texas Republic was spurred by the migration of American settlers. Bleeding Kansas was caused by the mass migration of pro and anti-slavery settlers, who then clashed in a guerilla war. The California Gold Rush, which was fueled by rapid migration, left a long-lasting impact on the landscape of California. The consequences that movement had on California, Texas, and Kansas reveal the complex nature of movement.

First of all, the California Gold Rush was first sparked by the discovery of gold in Sutter’s mill, the subsequent migration of settlers had immense and long-lasting effects on the environment of California. As miners poured into California, the gold that was available in the stream quickly ran out, as a result, they looked elsewhere for gold. Hydraulic mining quickly took off, however, it required a large amount of water in order to operate, as a result, large amounts of water were
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It also repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed for popular sovereignty to determine if these territories would either be free or slave. While the territory of Nebraska was too far north to be contested, the territory of Kansas was positioned right next to Missouri. The territory of Kansas was almost immediately flooded with both pro and anti-slavery settlers, both hoping to sway the territory onto their side. It was only a matter of time before the volatile mix of both pro and anti-slavery settlers would turn violent. On May 21, 1856, the town of Lawrence, which had served as the anti-slavery government was burned down, this signaled the beginning of the guerilla war that came to be known as Bleeding