How did westward expansion and the Industrial Revolution impact American society?

Westward expansion profoundly changed American society. As the nation grew, more people looked west in order to obtain cheaper land. Once there, they developed communities with stores and professional positions, such as blacksmiths and lawyers. Between 1820 and 1860, many of these Western towns were some of the fastest growing places in the United States. These people in the West also aspired to own manufactured goods, and the United States was beginning to get into the Industrial Revolution after the Revolutionary War.

Before the war and immediately thereafter, American manufacturing was considered secondary to British work. After the war, Americans looked to develop their own manufacturing as a way to grow industries at home and also as a source of national pride. More people would work in American factories in the period leading up to the Civil War and after the war this number would increase significantly with more European immigration.

Most of the factory jobs were in the North, but in order to facilitate transportation of raw materials and finished products, the US government undertook a program of internal improvements called the American System which improved railroads and canals in most of the United States. This benefited the West as it made transportation of goods and people easier; it also benefited Americans as a whole, as American manufacturing increased and new jobs were being created.  

When the United States became its own country in the late 1700's, most of the population was engaged in agriculture and lived on the East Coast.  There was a minimal industrial base, as Great Britain had actually attempted to restrict the Colonies trade and industrial pursuits, preferring to keep them as a source of raw materials and to keep them from competing with the Mother Country. However, after the American Revolution, no such restrictions existed, and trade and industry flourished.  Simultaneously, immigration increased, and new farmers necessarily had to move westward to farm.  With the full development of a railway transport system, agriculture and industry intersected -- the railroad moved agricultural products Eastward to the cities, and moved manufactured goods Westward to the farms.  This internal trade removed the necessity for most of the population to be engaged in agriculture, resulting in most working in factories in cities by the late 1800's, which had also migrated westward after the settlers and farmers.

How did Westward expansion impact American society between 1800 and 1860?

Westward expansion brought with it the popularization of the idea of Manifest Destiny, the grim reality of war, and the development of a sectional crisis leading to the Civil War. The notion that the United States had a right to determine the destiny of North America became increasingly popular and was propagated by politicians. The achievement of this mission required innovations in transportation, particularly in canals and railways, as well as a dynamic economy that was able to exploit resources. And, for better or worse, these conditions existed by the 1840s—allowing for the actualization of the ideas behind Manifest Destiny.

However, some impediments remained: well-armed native tribes controlled the Great Plains, Mexico controlled Texas and lands west of the Rockies, and England had claims to Oregon Country. Owing to these obstacles, expansion required aggressive imperialism and the willingness to risk war. The Mexican War—provoked by President James K. Polk (1845–49) in order to force Mexico into territorial negotiations—was intended to be bloodless and brief, but it ended up costing the US 13,000 lives and lasted nearly two years (see the link below).

The territorial gains that stemmed from American expansionism, namely the Mexican War and an 1818 agreement with the British, reignited the debate over slavery. The sense of Anglo-American superiority encouraged by expansionism may have reinforced the cultural underpinnings of slavery. Which system would spread: the hierarchical slave system of the South or the reform-minded capitalist system of the North? The so-called Great Debate over slavery and popular sovereignty led to an increasing polarization over the issue, paving the way for the American Civil War.

Westward expansion between 1800 and 1860 impacted American society in several ways. One impact was that it allowed American industries to grow and prosper. As Americans began to move westward, they needed products in order to live in the west. Thus, businesses moved to the west and began to make the products that the people needed.

Another impact was the growth of our transportation system. As Americans moved westward, the National Road was built and extended. The Erie Canal was built to connect the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. Our railroads expanded to the west also. The improvement in transportation also helped businesses to grow and prosper.

As a result of the westward expansion, there were many conflicts with the Native Americans. The Native Americans were forcibly relocated to lands west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s and the 1840s. When Americans expanded past the Mississippi River in the 1850s and the 1860s, more land was again taken from the Native Americans. There were many conflicts with the Native Americans.

As Americans expanded westward, Americans learned more about the geography of the United States. After the Louisiana Purchase was made, Lewis and Clark and other explorers explored the new territory that had been gained. They brought back detailed reports about the land, and new maps were created.

With westward expansion, more states entered the Union. This led to fierce debates about the spread of slavery to these new lands. This eventually became a factor leading to the Civil War.

Westward expansion impacted American society in many ways between 1800 and 1860.

Westward expansion meant that the US acquired ever increasing amounts of land, and needed people, farmers, to settle there so it could maintained without a huge military presence.  This led to massive immigration in the second half of the 19th century, as mostly Europeans came here seeking to finally have their own land.

It also added vast resources to the United States, both in terms of potential agricultural production and things like gold, silver and timber.

It stimulated the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and added new states to the country.

It further aggravated the divide between north and south, and accelerated the onset of the Civil War.