American West Expansion and Mexican American War Essay Example

Thomas Jefferson, the former U.S president believed that the westward expansion was the major key to America’s future and health. Apparently, Jefferson believed that a nation had to depend on an independent and virtuous citizenship for its survival. To him, land ownership went hand in hand with nation’s independence and virtue. This expansion is one of the defining themes in America’s history and was influenced by several geographic, security, and economic factors;

Firstly, the population growth in eastern states was the major reason for the expansion, which was expected to double from the previous census of around 5.3 million to reach 23million by the next census. Secondly, for Americans to purchase new territory from France and other foreign powers, the government had to motivate its citizens to move from eastern states to western states. This territory acquisition saw