The Role of Westward Movement in American History

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%.

Due to the hard work of immigrants, "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.

As immigrants moved westward, territorial development quickly crossed the Rocky Mountains and reached the whole 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.

The westward movement had a great influence on the formation and development of American national spirit, developed American political and social democratic consciousness, cultivated "American-style freedom, equality and competition", cultivated American spirit of courage and adventure, tempered American optimistic and enterprising character, strengthened American individualism and gave birth to pragmatic philosophy.

Many spirits cultivated in the westward movement still have a far-reaching impact on American society.