The Roots of America Today

The Roots of America Today

Since its establishment over 200 years ago, America has continued to develop into one of the most powerful countries in the world. Today, the United States stands as the world's oldest existing federation, upholding the ideals of a constitutional republic. In such a system, government officials represent the people's interest and abide by constitutional law. Yet, it is not possible to recognize the developments of the United States without acknowledging the steps taken to get there. Although collective handfuls of different ideas pushed for American development, three specific events led America toward contemporary expansion. What events in American history most greatly shaped and expanded the United States in the 1800s? Without a doubt, the establishment of the Constitution and the Jacksonian democracy heavily added to the progress of an already rising country. But in fact, the combined effects of manifest destiny, western expansion, and the Gold Rush all expanded America's borders and helped spread the notion of democracy.

The need to expand beyond the restricting borders of America soon became a prevalent necessity for all Americans. Settlers in the beginning of the 19th century began pushing up the Northwest Territory with the initiative of manifest destiny, the idea of occupying area from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. A number of specific reasons also contributed to the influence of manifest destiny. Settlers trying to avoid the same economic catastrophes of the past, such as the panic of 1837, moved west for economic reasons. As more travelers established homes in the West, business followed in search of new markets for their goods. In addition, many traveled west to escape religious persecution. The most notable example was the Mormon migration. Following pressure from a number of anti-Mormon groups to move and the murder of their founder Joseph Smith, the Mormons moved southwest to Utah and settled in peace. These...