Historical Geography: US Expansion to the Pacific Ocean

Political geography is a great explanatory and exploratory tool for understanding fundamental patterns and changes in human history. For example, it may show the interlinkages between spatial relations of one place and its political and economic significance for the whole country. In general, US history may be understood through the distinction between abolitionist North and pro-slavery South states. Afterward, although the topic of slavery disappeared completely from the public discourse, one still may trace North/South distinction during all American elections. The impact of the geographic division was crucial during the Market Revolution due to differential access to trade routes and resources and during divisions based on the problem of slavery.

Rapid economic growth in the early 19th century formed centers of attraction for capital, creating geographic disparities. The problem was the urgent need for railways and roads connecting far-away states, so places like New York, with redundant resources and trade routes nearby, were in a favorable position.¹ In the case of New York, it was located on the Erie Canal, which helped them trade with the Great Lakes region.² To encourage equal development of states, President James Madison encouraged the construction of roads and canals throughout the country with the help of a national authority.³ Nevertheless, the geographic center of economic power shifted westwards because of the beneficial location, logistic system, and concentration of capital.

The increasing incorporation of the western territories provoked an increasing conflict between the North and the South over the issue of slavery. The great attention deserves the Northwest Ordinance of 1789, which influenced the formation of new states long after its enactment. Initially, its major purpose was to outline the principles that the expansion of the new state would take the form of admission of new states by the federal government rather than the expansion of existing states. In Article VI, the phrase “there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory” was crucial because it established the clear line on the Ohio River between slave and free states.⁴ It contributed to the formation of the Mason-Dixon line, with North states aimed at abolishing slavery while South states tried to preserve their right to slavery.⁵ Thus, the geographical position of the states and remoteness from large industrial cities determined their further development.

Finally, the unique geographic location of the US helped the newly-born country avoid direct participation in European wars. At the same time, the development of steamboats contributed to the proliferation of some American values in Europe. Although the geographical ‘isolation’ from fierce conflicts in Europe would have a tremendous effect in the 20th century, the impact of Anglo-French wars and the War of 1812 was still relatively insignificant for the US.⁶ In addition, the invention of cheap printing technologies helped connect like-minded people around the globe. In such a way, Frederick Douglass’ autobiography was translated into French and Dutch and appeared in Europe.⁷ Such an opportunity for ideas’ proliferation without direct danger of invasion was beneficial for the development of the US before the outbreak of the Civil War.

To conclude, the history of all nations can be greatly explained through the geographical perspective. The case of the US is a major example of this principle because the division of slavery was highly determined by geographical location. In this essay, the influence of geography was demonstrated during the economic development of the Market revolution and US expansion to the Pacific ocean. Besides, the location of the entire country in the international arena was also crucial because it protected Americans from European destruction during wars.

Bibliography

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.

Larson, John Lauritz. The Market Revolution in America: Liberty, Ambition, and the Eclipse of the Common Good. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Locke, Joseph L., and Ben Wright. The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open US History Textbook, Vol. 1: To 1877. Stanford University Press, 2019.

Maddison, James. “December 5, 1815: Seventh Annual Message.” Miller Center. Web.

Mihm, Stephen. A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con Men, and the Making of the United States. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009.

Tansill, Charles C., ed. Northwest Ordinance; July 13, 1787. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1927. Web.

Footnotes

1. John Lauritz Larson, The Market Revolution in America: Liberty, Ambition, and the Eclipse of the Common Good (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 60-61.
2. Stephen Mihm, A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con Men, and the Making of the United States (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009), 94.
3. James Maddison, “December 5, 1815: Seventh Annual Message,” Miller Center, Web.
4. Charles C. Tansill, ed., Northwest Ordinance; July 13, 1787 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1927), Web.
5. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open US History Textbook, Vol. 1: To 1877 (Stanford University Press, 2019), 205.
6. Locke and Wright, 186.
7. Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself (Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845).