Nicholas Wong Mr Kaczorowski Ms Jeong RST 242 3 30 22 Week 3 Packback Discussion Regarding the statement that Americans would have migrated westward to seek more space or elbow room even if painters and writers had not romanticized western landscapes I agree with it The Westward Expansion was unavoidable However I think the Westward Expansion was brought about earlier than it was expected to happen by the painters and writers who assisted in speeding up the expansion While simultaneously the nation s population grew from 4 million in 1790 to 17 million in 1840 Opie 1988 page 115 the size of the United States grew twice by the Louisiana Purchase according to the required reading for this week s lesson The ability to support a growing population was provided to the United States by the Louisiana Purchase Within 50 years the eastern part of the United States was not able to assist all the people due to the population exceeding capacity It was necessary to have a place to go for these people All the settlers were settling in the east leaving the west as the sole place for expansion McCall 1976 as shown in the Schoolhouse Rock video The horror of widespread epidemics and fires breaking out was another crucial issue leading to people moving out west The threat of fire constantly frightened city dwellers Opie 1988 page 127 as according to the required reading All it took to make Americans move westward and out of crowded cities was the anxiety of everything being destroyed by disease and fire The painters and writers significantly shaped the view of Americans towards nature even though they were not the only influences for westward expansion Americans began to imagine nature and the wilderness as something easily tamed and useful instead of a frightening place people should be cautious of To seek more space Americans had to migrate westward regardless of the painters and writers Reply Post To Peiran Wang Hi Peiran I like your claim that Americans migrated westward due to searching for more freedom and land which I agree with I also think your argument regarding plenty of natural resources in the west of America being an important factor causing migration is very strong Americans found more valuable crops and plants in the West which could be used for means of agricultural development as Opie 1998 noted However arguing that Americans moved west to work hard for human rights was a weaker argument in your post Since human rights can be developed and protected from anywhere across the United States US I don t exactly agree with your argument regarding this By stating regardless of which part of the US that human rights are always one of the most essential things in the US and that Americans didn t have to migrate west to work hard for human rights I could easily provide a counterargument Overall your post does do a pretty good job of addressing the question you came up with Nicholas Wong
View Full Document
Unlocking...