the conquest of the american west
DESCRIPTION
While the Mexican War technically accomplished America's "Manifest Destiny" of expanding to the Pacific Ocean, the United States government did not devote its energies to truly conquering the western territories until after the Civil War. The departure of the Confederate States paved the way for active government involvement. The United States government used land grants to homesteaders and transcontinental railroads, as well as military campaigns against American Indian tribes, to "conquer" the West. After a great deal of waste, fraud, and murder, America's "manifest destiny" was finally achieved.
