Thoroughly describe the arguments made that linked American freedom to westward expansion. Who or what were obstacles to freedom in the pursuit of expansion? How did Americans deal with those obstacles?

The argument linking American freedom to westward expansion is rooted in the idea of Manifest Destiny, the belief that it was the destiny of the United States to expand its territory across the North American continent. Proponents of westward expansion argued that it was a way to spread democracy, freedom, and opportunity to new territories, and that it was the natural right of Americans to settle and develop the land.

One of the main obstacles to freedom in the pursuit of westward expansion was the presence of Native American tribes who already inhabited the land. As Americans moved westward, they often clashed with Native American tribes who resisted the encroachment on their land and way of life. This led to violent conflicts and the displacement of Native American communities from their ancestral lands.

Another obstacle to freedom was the presence of other colonial powers, such as Spain and Mexico, who also had claims to the territories being pursued by American settlers. This led to territorial disputes and conflicts over control of the land.

Americans dealt with these obstacles in a variety of ways. In the case of Native American tribes, the U.S. government implemented policies of forced removal, such as the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which led to the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their homelands to designated Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. This policy resulted in the Trail of Tears, a devastating and deadly journey for many Native American tribes.

In the case of territorial disputes with other colonial powers, Americans often resorted to military intervention and diplomacy to assert their claims to the land. This was the case in the Mexican-American War, which resulted in the annexation of large territories in the Southwest, including present-day California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Overall, the arguments linking American freedom to westward expansion were often used to justify the displacement and subjugation of indigenous peoples and the assertion of American power and control over new territories. The pursuit of expansion was not without its obstacles, and the ways in which Americans dealt with these obstacles often involved the use of force and the disregard for the rights and sovereignty of others.