I. WHY DID AMERICANS MOVE WEST?

A. Many people looked west of the Appalachian Mountains for land to settle B. The population in early 1800’s America was starting to grow. C. This made land more expensive as there was less of it to buy. II. NORTHWEST ORDINANCE

A. The Northwest Ordinance was agreed upon in 1784 and was divided up so that individuals could buy the land. B. This was a much needed source of revenue for the U.S. gov’t, as there were still many debts to pay. C. Louisiana Purchase made even more land available for westward expansion. III. HEADING INTO THE WEST A. Some of the territories were gained through war 1. Florida was gained when General Andrew Jackson invaded and Spain surrendered. 2. Oregon was gained in a settlement to avoid a war. B. To settle all these new lands, settlers would follow the rivers. 1. Rivers offered the easiest mode of transportation. 2. Settlers would load their animals and wagons onto flatboats. IV. THE AMERICAN SYSTEM

A. Henry Clay promoted his “American System” as an economic system that would benefit agriculture, merchants, and industry. 1. Tariffs would be raised to protect industry. 2. The National Bank would make loans to promote business growth. 3. The tariffs and the sale of public lands would provide funds for the building of roads, canals, and other improvements. V. TECHNOLOGY SPEEDS TRANSPORTATION

A. The advent of the steamboat made going upstream easier and made shipping much cheaper. B. The Erie Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. 1. Allowed timber and other goods to be shipped from the Northwest territories to New York Harbor C. The National road was built by the federal government and stretched from Maryland to the Ohio River in Virginia. VI. MOVEMENT CHANGES THE WEST AND THE NATION

A. The frontier was an ever changing edge that was the “meeting point of savagery and civilization.” B. Settlers learned how to survive in each new environment, trade with American Indians, and use the available natural resources. C. Because of the hardships faced by settlers, traditional roles of Men and Women changed. D. Surviving on the frontier was a 2-person job and required women to take on more roles than just running the home 1. Women often helped with planting and harvesting crops, caring for livestock, and making clothing and furniture. E. Women on the frontier enjoyed greater equality than women in the East. 1. There were also fewer class distinctions as people were respected for their actions rather than who they were. VIII.GUIDES TO THE WEST A. Many of the first settlers traveled west to capture beavers for their fur and were eventually called mountain men. B. They traveled to Oregon Country using old Native American trails and later used their knowledge of these trails to help guide settlers. 1. These mountain men were revered as rugged individualists. 2. They lived off the land and were often separated from society for long periods of time. IX. NATIONS COMPETE

A. In the early 1800’s the United States, Great Britain, Spain, and Russia all claimed Oregon Country for themselves. B. The U.S. and Great Britain had the most settlers so Spain and Russia both withdrew their claims 1. The U.S. and Great Britain agreed to occupy and settle Oregon Country jointly. X. THE OREGON TRAIL A. The first Americans to settle permanently in Oregon Country were missionaries. 1. Their goal was to convert Native Americans to Christianity. B. These missionaries sent back glowing reports of Oregon Country, which convinced many Americans to travel there. C. Starting in 1843, wagons left every spring bound for Oregon County on the Oregon Trail. D. The Oregon Trail started in Independence, Missouri and stopped when they came across other settlements so that they could restock on supplies.

E. These wagon trains had 5 months to cover almost 2000 miles, with 15 miles a day being a good pace to keep. F. Life on the trail was hard and often families would shirk traditional gender roles. 1. Men would cook and clean clothes. 2. Women would load and drive wagons. G. People on the trail would also encounter Native Americans and would often trade clothing and tools for food. H. The biggest threat to people on the Oregon Trail was sickness, mainly Cholera. I. By the 1840’s, America greatly outnumbered the British and so they agreed to split up Oregon.