Some historians have argued that colonialism – the often-violent expansion of white settlement across the continent — was an essential feature estward extensionof United States politics and ideology from the time of Thomas Jefferson’s election to the presidency.
Why was Jefferson so committed to the westward extension of the nation? Which groups (and presidents) were most aggressive in carrying Jefferson’s legacy forward?
What methods did they deploy? Which groups and individuals resisted and opposed expansion? What was the impact of this process on national politics?
Your essay, based on lectures and Foner’s text, should cover the period from Jefferson’s presidency to the late 1840s. As a reference and source use, Erick Foner’s Give me Liberty which I have attached all I could find on the book. but you are allowed to use the entire book if u have access to it.
