Amanda Hatcher

History
Republican Nationalism

“The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803-1806 provided this country with its first

western heroes and revealed a land so bounteous and alluring that nature itself appeared to

have a smile upon the American republic.” This was an era of great things for Americans. “In

1803, the year of the Louisiana purchase, the united states was a strong, confident nation with

a population of six million.” I wonder why the nation can’t return to this once happy and

confident nation.

I believed the nation changed for the worse because of the people elected into office.

For instance “when Thomas Jefferson was elected president in 1800, tens of thousands of

Native Americans living within the boundaries of the future United States had never seen a

white person.” I believe that racism played a big part in wars that later on prevailed.

The purpose for the Lewis and Clark expedition was to “gain and accurate sense of the

resources being exchanged in the Louisiana Purchase.” I feel that those men were curious and

to nosy and that is what started then on this historical expedition. But “the expedition laid

much of the groundwork for the westward expansion of the United States. So it’s true and been

proven through history that all things result from a prior event that taken place.

“Unfortunately, the conquest would have its sordid side, for the land would change as millions

of settlers overwhelmed Native Americans cultures and killed wild animals. Even the sweet-
smelling wild grasses of the prairies would give away a less romantic, if more profitable, wheat

crops. But the corps of discovery had been able to see the west without subduing it, and in the

young republic there appeared to be no limit to Americas resources.” So basically they are

saying for ever good things there is a bad thing. Though exploring was a great adventure it open

up the path for other to come through which resulted in people misusing the environment.