AMS 207 Lecture 4: AMS 207 Notes 2-16

• School: Miami University
• Department: American Studies
• Course: AMS 207
• Professor: Busch Andrew

Document Summary

The belief that the us was destines to expand westward over the entire continent: (cid:862)geographi(cid:272)al deter(cid:373)i(cid:374)is(cid:373)(cid:863: used to justify conquering native americans. Focuses on american capitalist energy on the american west. Demonstrates american e(cid:454)pa(cid:374)sio(cid:374)ist attitudes, opti(cid:373)is(cid:373) a(cid:374)d idealis(cid:373) a(cid:374)d a (cid:271)elief i(cid:374) (cid:862)di(cid:448)i(cid:374)e pro(cid:448)ide(cid:374)(cid:272)e(cid:863) i(cid:374) the 19th century. For jefferson, agrarian life was the most virtuous (thought cities increased immoral behavior); he built his notion of republicanism around the farmer and imagined a republic of yeoman farmers stretching to the wests. Economic self-sufficiency and land ownership would create independent, civic-minded citizens (cid:862)those (cid:449)ho la(cid:271)or i(cid:374) the earth are the (cid:272)hose(cid:374) people of god. (cid:863) The philosophy drove the louisiana purchase and levis and clark expedition. States that no european powers should attempt to colonize lands in north america, particularly i(cid:374) the a(cid:373)eri(cid:272)a(cid:374) west a(cid:374)d the cari(cid:271)(cid:271)ea(cid:374). A(cid:374)(cid:455) atte(cid:373)pt to do so (cid:449)ill (cid:271)e take(cid:374) as (cid:862)hostile a(cid:272)tio(cid:374)(cid:863) against the united states.