What was the impact of westward expansion on the development of the United States?

Westward expansion had a huge impact on the development of the United States. As people moved westward, the United States began to grow in many ways. One way the country grew was that we began to add more land to our country. With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, we doubled the size of the country. When explorers such as Lewis and Clark mapped out the new land, this opened the door for settlement of the...

Westward expansion had a huge impact on the development of the United States. As people moved westward, the United States began to grow in many ways. One way the country grew was that we began to add more land to our country. With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, we doubled the size of the country. When explorers such as Lewis and Clark mapped out the new land, this opened the door for settlement of the Louisiana Purchase. People moved west to farm, raise sheep and cattle, and to claim land. Then, as we expanded toward the Pacific Ocean, with the acquisition of the Oregon Territory and the Mexican Cession, more people headed west. When minerals were discovered, westward expansion really increased.

This movement westward led to the development of the west. As people moved west, businesses followed. People needed products, and the businesses were more than willing to provide those products. This led to the growth of the railroads. It was profitable for the railroads to expand as people moved west. The railroad companies could ship the business products and could transport people faster and easier than other modes of transportation. Eventually, more cities were formed in the west, and the territories produced new states that were admitted to the United States. Westward expansion had a significant impact on the development of the United States.