t the expansionist thought was theirs to dominate.While some were driven on what they believe was God’s will others saw Manifest Destiny as the historical inevitability domination of North America from sea to sea. Before, manifest destiny, many Americans had small families not by choice, but for the mere fact that many of the people would die before they would reach forty. By the mid 1800’s technology began to rise, and the life span for many Americans increased. The U.S. population grew from more than 5 million in 1800 to more than 23 million by the mid century. By the increasing of families in town many of the towns became overcrowded. At this point many Americans looked to the west for possible permanent homes. To others Americas manifest destiny was s looked west for economic gain. The land westward-represented wealth, income, self-sufficiency, and freedom. No one really knew what laid west to them, but many of these people were very adventurerous and took the journey west. By the 1840’s expansion westward was at its’ highest. Many Americans traveled the Santa Fe Trail or the Oregon Trail. Many merchant-traders who took manufactured good from Santa Fe to exchange for furs and other items available there used the Santa Fe Trail. William Becknell, a Missouri trader, first discovered the trail. He opened the Santa Fe trial as a commercial route between what was then the western reaches of the United States and New Mexico. For other adventurers the Oregon Trail seemed to be their source of travel. In 1845 approximately 5,000 traveled the Oregon Trail to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The Oregon Trail was the longest pioneer trail that went west. It was a long travel that was approximately 2,00 miles. Many people died on the way, but the thirst for wealth over exceeded the rate of survival. The Santa Fe Trail and The Oregon Trail contributed to many Americans outlook on the westward expansion....
