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Explanation of how it supports thesis in 1-2 sentences (specifics!)

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Although westward expansion actively disadvantaged many people, the various political, economic, and social changes that occurred during the 1800s contributed significantly to a new era of expansion under Manifest Destiny by instigating conflicts between nations over territory, motivating ordinary citizens to move westward, and improving transportation across the continental US.

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The fight between the US and Great Britain over control of the Oregon Territory showed that the US was willing to fight in order to expand its borders.

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The Gadsden Purchase provided land for the transcontinental railroad, which made transportation across the continent faster and safer.

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The concept of Manifest Destiny greatly affected America’s political, economic, and social goals, and contributed significantly to a distinct era of westward expansion that fueled conflict between countries and peoples and shaped the development of the country.

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Although economic changes contributed to a new era of expansion under the banner of Manifest Destiny after 1800, social and political changes contributed to a larger extent because the United States was actively expanding its territory during this period, engaged in tense debates over slavery, and emergent religious groups wanted to escape persecution.

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People left their homes and the known world in search of opportunity and economic gain. Places like California(The 49ers and california gold rush), Alaska, and Oregon drew people in with their vast gold supplies and exotic trading.

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President Polk believed that the US had a right to spread across the continent. This led to the Mexican-American War and the Pig War, showing America was prepared to fight for Manifest Destiny.

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The Mormons fled west searching for religious freedom, and created their own settlement outside of US controlled territory.

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As a result of the federal government’s desire to expand US settlement westward, they gave incentives to squatters to purchase and work on land in the Preemption Act.

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Although economic factors did contribute to expansion through economic opportunities in the New Land, social and political factors had a more significant extent to expansion under the idea of Manifest Destiny through the expansion of the United States and the forcible relocation of certain groups.

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To fulfill its destiny of stretching from coast to coast, the United States began to expand its territory significantly after 1800. Examples of such territorial expansions include the Louisiana purchase, the annexation of California, and the Gadsden Purchase.

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The Preemption Act allowed male or widowed citizens or citizens-to-be above the age of 21 to buy federal-owned land for cheap in newly admitted states. For this reason, the Preemption Act encouraged people to move out west.

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To make room for white settlers east of the Mississippi, the US government enforced Indian Removal and relocated Native Americans to Oklahoma from Georgia. To escape religious persecution, Mormons moved to Utah from Illinois and established an isolated religious community.

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Although economic growth was the most significant factor in expansion under the banner of Manifest Destiny after 1800,  due to the want for economic growth. Politics and social changes made a contribution to small change through religion and war.

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War: The Mexican-American War. It caused a lot of shifts in power within both the Mexican and American governments. It also caused many new treaties to be evoked and continued to change. Conflicts within the government continued to grow because President Polk wanted to expand onto Mexican territories.

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The Gadsen purchase, which acquired a large amount of northern Mexico, had many economic incentives. It gave America a route from California to the Gulf of Mexico, something that was very valuable and resulted in lots of profit. Manifest Destiny was not only an ideal of social prosperity, but also one of economic opportunity; new land meant more money.

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The Mormons often faced persecution and violence for their controversial beliefs, so their leader decided to move the group to the Southwest. Even though the territory was Mexican controlled at the time, they still believed they had a right to relocate and establish a society there.

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Although Economic changes had some influence in Westward Expansion , social and political changes played a much larger role in the Era of expansion under the banner of Manifest Destiny because the United States incentivized citizens to move westward, the belief that the United States from stretch from coast to coast, and the continued debates over the role of Slavery in the United States.

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Growth:The Gadsden purchase opened up a lot of opportunities for trade, transportation, and migration, which positively impacted the economy, as well as exports and imports of new resources.

Alongside the Alaska purchase came discoveries like gold and fur. People migrated there to pursue these resources for trade and manufacturing. The purchase of Alaska allowed many new trade ports and routes to open up, as well as additional modes of national and international transportation for trade

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During this period, the US expanded westward significantly. This was through events like the Texas Annexation, the acquisition of Oregon and California, and the Gadsden and Alaska Purchase shows how expansion significantly increased during the period after 1800.

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Religion:Justification for movement westward was for religious freedom due to the constant persecution the mormons faced from Illinois and wanted to establish a safer location where they could practice their faith.

This was a social change due to their desire to escape persecution from their previous settlement, they are trying to escape society and settle anew.

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In this period, Indian Removal process were implemented to prevent American Indian expansion. Believers in Manifest Destiny felt that Native Americans were stopping them from moving westward and the only way to achieve westward expansion was to get rid of Native Americans from the land. Additionally, the Mormons were getting persecuted and killed in the US because of their beliefs. They realized that the only way to live peacefully with their beliefs is if they leave the United States and go westward. They had the same beliefs in westward expansion that they had to civilize the west and that it was for the greater good of the country.

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Overall the extent to which social changes contributed to the expansion of the United states is smaller, due to the conflict that resulted after an attempt to redistribute land. However political and economic changes played a bigger part, because it created a vast amount of economic opportunities and increased political debates over slavery in states based on their geography.

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Under the presidency of James K. Polk, the united states believed it was their manifest destiny to spread to the pacific ocean, and started a war with Mexico gaining land present day, California, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona, and caused political problems in the government, as Polk wanted to expand into the mexican territories

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Although there was social and political change and a rise in economic strength under the Manifest Destiny. It contributed significantly to the forceful dislocation of many groups, instigation of territorial conflicts, and slavery disputes.

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Social changes were arguably the highest contributing factor to Westward expansion through the belief of Manifest Destiny and the idea that Americans are "gods chosen people" and that it was their "destiny" to expand as much as possible in North America. The Acquisition of territories such as Oregon and Texas happened because of that idea, and the expulsion of Native Americans happened because Americans viewed them as an obstruction of that destiny.

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Political debates intensified over slave or non slave states after the nation grew in size the issue of whether slavery should be legal raised again and how should the newly acquired land be split up.

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Although social and political events like the persecution of religious and cultural groups and political wars were big factors in Westward Expansion, economic events like land purchases and debates of slavery, had a larger affect on Westward Expansion

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While white settlers traveled west, the US government enforced the Indian Removal Act in which they felt that Indian removal was vital for American expansion west and manifest destiny. Another Social aspect was the prosecution of Mormons, who were forced out to Utah, because of their beliefs such as Polygyny which was a bad look for them. In wanting to live a peaceful life under their religion, they moved out west to Utah.

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The expansion of territory increased efficiency in means of transportation, and led to the development of different cultures and values caused by different topographies. Such as the introduction of the Mormon church and religion, formed as a result of a utopia.

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The Indian Removal Act caused social change in terms of the demographics of the country, as Native American tribes were forced to relocate west of the Mississippi River. The Trail of Tears is an example of the painful migration of the Cherokee peoples. The Mormons also moved westward to Mexican-controlled lands to avoid religious persecution.

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Political Evidence during the westward expansion consisted of Texas Annexation which was when after Mexico gained independence from Spain, they moved foreign settlers to Texas, to populate it. Soon after Americans outnumbered the resident Mexicans. The Mexican Government tried to regulate the American communites, but that led to rebellions. Among this conflict Texas declared its independence from Mexico.

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Due to the ever growing population of American citizens, the idea of moving out west was met with little resistance. To compensate for all the new settlers events such as the Indian removal act were put in place. After they had new land and training routs at their disposal, purchases of Louisiana and Alaska only expanded these original trade ways.

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The Gadsen purchase, which included a large portion of northern Mexico, came with a slew of economic benefits. It provided America with a route from California to the Gulf of Mexico, which was extremely valuable and profitable. Manifest Destiny was a vision of social and economic prosperity; new land meant more money.

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Through the Gadsden Purchase the US was able to expand into a big portion of Northern Mexico and create a transcontinental railroad that connected the Gulf Coast with the rest of the US. This improved the economy as it unified the regions of the US. Internationally speaking the purchase also allowed for the creation of ports on the west coast which improved trade relationships internationally. The Gadsden Purchase also allowed Americans to expand westward.

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People left to go westward because of new cheap land opportunities for things such as farmland and ranches. Gold miners also went west in search of gold and moved around to places where there were gold rushes.

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Expansion created more opportunities for people who moved west. The preemption act allowed poorer individuals to afford land if in exchange they inhabited it from time to time and made improvements to their territory. This reinforced the justification of manifest destiny, as normal people partook in civilizing the new territories.