Graded Assignment – Expanding West CCSS: 11.2.2 Students analyze the relationship among the rise of industrialization, largescale rural-to-urban migration, and massive immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe Describe the changing landscape, including the growth of cities linked by industry and trade, and the development of cities divided according to race, ethnicity, and class

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.

United States’ territory expanded dramatically in the 1840s. By the end of that decade, the United States spanned from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast, and its territory had grown by about a third in less than three years (1845-1848). This growth came from war, international treaties, and annexation of territory.

For a quarter century after the War of 1812, only a few Americans explored the West. Then, in the 1840s, expansion fever gripped the country. Many Americans began to believe that their movement westward was predestined by God. The phrase “manifest destiny” expressed the belief that the United States was ordained to expand to the Pacific Ocean and into Mexican and Native American territory. Many Americans also believed that this destiny was manifest, or obvious and inevitable. Source: The Americans, McDougal Littell, 2009

Source: “Our Relations with Mexico,” The American Review, 1846.
This passage is from an article in The American Review, a publication run by supporters of the Whig Party. The Whigs generally opposed the actions of President James K. Polk, a Democrat.

Using the sources provided, determine What Motivated the expansion West? Write a 1-2 paragraph response. Use at least 2 sources in your answer. Make sure you cite and support those statements. When writing your short answer response, follow the RACE guidelines:

-Restate the Question
-Answer the question completely.
-Cite Evidence from the Text/Source
-Explain the evidence, you have cited