Page 57 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

HIST OR Y OF THE USA  55

George Washington holding a copy of the US Constitution, surrounded by Founding Fathers, 1787
Birth of a Nation DC. Ironically, the war was ended by a
By 1783, the newly formed United States peace treaty that was signed two weeks
of America had a border that extended as before its biggest skirmish – the Battle of
far west as the Mississippi River. Washington New Orleans – took place in January 1815.
became the first President (1789–97), and a After the War of 1812, the US abandoned
new Constitution was officially adopted in hopes of annexing Canada, and so began
1788; in 1791 the ten amendments of the its great push westward. Settlers poured
“Bill of Rights” were added, enumerating each into the Great Plains, Oregon, and
citizen’s freedom of speech, press, religion, eventually the northern periphery of the
and public assembly. In 1800, the capital Republic of Mexico, including Texas and
moved from Philadelphia to the newly California. The Santa Fe Trail, open for trade
created city of Washington, DC, which by by 1823, brought New Mexico under US
now had a population of 3,200 people. influence. By 1850, there was an extensive
communications network. Steamboat
Manifest Destiny traffic dominated the rivers, augmented
America expanded greatly in its early by canals and cross-country railroads.
years, first opening the “Northwest Territory” The consolidation of western lands
lands along the Great Lakes in 1787. The encouraged millions of pioneers to migrate
Louisiana Purchase of 1803 added a huge west and forge new lives for themselves.
area of western lands formerly controlled By the mid-19th century, people had grown
by France. This rapid expansion created accustomed to the idea that the country
the need to survey the new territories. would stretch undivided across the
Lewis and Clark’s famed cross-continental continent, from ocean to ocean. This
expedition between 1803 and 1806 idea, in the words of populist journalist
was funded by Congress at the express John L. O’Sullivan, was the country’s
request of President Thomas Jefferson. “Manifest Destiny.” Orderly settlement was
The first test of strength for this new made possible by the official survey and
independent country came in 1812, when division of these lands into rectangular
the US found itself caught in the middle of sections, each one square mile in area.
an ongoing war between France and Great Overland trails were opened leading
Britain. Though both countries agreed to west to the gold fields of California,
stop interfering with American ships, US which itself became a state in 1850.
forces attacked British interests in Canada, By 1860, more than half the population
and in retaliation the British burned the lived west of the Appalachian Mountains,
Capitol and White House in Wash ington, compared to less than 10 percent in 1800.

052-063_EW_USA.indd 55 11/3/16 10:58 AM