Three immigration climaxes of the westward movement

The United States implemented a gradient development strategy in the westward movement, that is, according to its own resource advantages, it gradually upgraded and deepened development. For example, the first stage is mainly to make full use of the vast and fertile land resources in the west, vigorously develop planting and animal husbandry by establishing a large number of family farms and pastures, and develop the wasteland around Appalachia Mountain and the Great Lakes into grain, cotton and animal husbandry bases. From 65438 to 0850, the United States planted 62.8 million mu of grain and produced 32 million tons, making the United States a big agricultural country and a big exporter of grain and cotton in the world. In the second stage, with the discovery of gold mines in the west and the application of scientific and technological achievements of the first industrial revolution, the mining development frenzy was triggered and a number of mineral resources processing and manufacturing enterprises were established. After this period of development, the industrial focus of the United States shifted from the northeast to the central and western regions, making the central and western regions a center of heavy industry and finally realizing the industrialization of the United States. From 65438 to 0894, the industrial production of the United States has jumped to the top in the world, and its output is equivalent to half of the total output of European countries. At the beginning of the 20th century, the advantages of American industry became more prominent. 19 13 years, industrial products accounted for13 of the world's total industrial products, more than the combined industrial products of Britain, Germany, France and Japan. In the third stage, with the rise of the third scientific and technological revolution, American high technology advanced by leaps and bounds, and the American industrial structure changed to the tertiary industry, and finally the industrial structure softened and upgraded. Therefore, the process of implementing the gradient strategy in the western development of the United States is also a process of continuous adjustment, deepening and upgrading of the American economic structure. Although the United States attached great importance to the role of the market mechanism in the westward movement, the role of the government was irreplaceable. In the westward movement, the United States formulated a series of land policies, immigration policies, infrastructure policies, science and technology education development policies, environmental protection policies, regional economic management policies, financial financing policies, and income redistribution policies to regulate and control the economic development of the western region and guide the development direction of the western region. In a word, the American government's intervention in western development involves not only the formulation of relevant policies and the establishment of special government departments, but also the government's investment in western development funds and the redistribution of income.

The victory of the independence revolution in North America, the beginning and development of modern industrialization in the United States, the territorial development of the United States and the "westward movement" that lasted for a century, and the completion of modern industrialization in the United States all benefited from foreign immigrants. Among them, a large number of cheap labor, skilled technicians and continuous capital investment have played an inestimable role.

The continuous westward migration has also greatly changed the regionalization of American economy and the distribution of residents' social structure. 1790, more than 94% of the population in the United States lived in the east of the Appalachian Mountains, 1860, and the proportion of the population in the west of the Appalachian Mountains reached 49%. Almost all European countries provide immigrants. /kloc-in the last 20 years of the 0/9th century, the land area of the new reclamation area in the western United States exceeded the total area of Britain, France and Germany, and immigrants were the main force of the new reclamation area.

With the advancement of immigrants to the western development, territorial development quickly crossed the Rocky Mountains and extended to the entire western region along the Pacific coast. With the US-Mexico War as the central link, the United States realized its long-cherished wish of crossing two oceans in less than 10 years. The US-Mexico War enabled the United States to gain access to the Pacific Ocean and become the two best maritime countries across the North American continent, and greatly weakened neighboring Mexico, seized 55% of Mexico's land and changed the political map of North America. It cultivated "American-style freedom, equality and competition", cultivated Americans' brave and adventurous spirit, tempered Americans' optimistic and enterprising character, strengthened Americans' individualism and gave birth to pragmatic philosophy. Many spirits cultivated in the westward movement still have a far-reaching impact on American society.

After the American Civil War broke out, President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act in order to arouse the enthusiasm of the general public to participate in the resistance against the South. This law is the most democratic land policy in the western development of the United States, which has enabled a large number of poor people to obtain land and greatly promoted the development of the western region. The westward movement had a great influence on American political and economic life. The large-scale development of the western region has led to large-scale railway construction and a large number of immigrants outflow, forming a vast domestic market in the United States.