Religion In Westward Expansion
Expansion Without Religion
Religion played a huge role in westward expansion, but without the colonists’ theological roots, expansion most likely would have remained the primary goal for immigrants, as this was still a period of abundance, and the fact that the immigrants adapted their theology to justify their murderous actions means that they probably would have just found another way to condone their ways.
Religion played a very important part in developing the United States into what it has become today. Dunbar-Ortiz explains that the Old Testament scriptures as well as the introduction of Calvinism had a major influence over the people, convincing them that their malicious acts were “holy.” She writes, “citizens believe it [the United …show more content…
With the influx of immigrants, though, came problems for the settlers as well as for those already settled. Dunbar-Ortiz writes that the Scotts-Irish settlers were the “largest ethnic group in westward migration” (54) and that they were “overwhelmingly farmers rather than explorers or fur traders” (54). The quotes imply that religion was not the main factor in westward expansion, but rather the fact that main people driving the westward expansion were farmers and wanted to continue their way of life in the newly found country. To continue farming, they would have needed to access more land, which was what they did. Sadly, this acquisition of land was brutal. Dunbar-Ortiz comments that the Scotts-Irish saw themselves as the “true and authentic patriots” (54) because they “spilled rivers of blood to secure independence and acquire Indigenous lands” (54). This also suggests that religion wasn’t the driving force, telling them it was acceptable to conquer the west, but rather the fact that they spilled blood for the land and physically showed their dominance, that gave the Scotts-Irish the idea that they deserved the
Religion played a huge role in westward expansion, but without the colonists’ theological roots, expansion most likely would have remained the primary goal for immigrants, as this was still a period of abundance, and the fact that the immigrants adapted their theology to justify their murderous actions means that they probably would have just found another way to condone their ways.
Religion played a very important part in developing the United States into what it has become today. Dunbar-Ortiz explains that the Old Testament scriptures as well as the introduction of Calvinism had a major influence over the people, convincing them that their malicious acts were “holy.” She writes, “citizens believe it [the United …show more content…
With the influx of immigrants, though, came problems for the settlers as well as for those already settled. Dunbar-Ortiz writes that the Scotts-Irish settlers were the “largest ethnic group in westward migration” (54) and that they were “overwhelmingly farmers rather than explorers or fur traders” (54). The quotes imply that religion was not the main factor in westward expansion, but rather the fact that main people driving the westward expansion were farmers and wanted to continue their way of life in the newly found country. To continue farming, they would have needed to access more land, which was what they did. Sadly, this acquisition of land was brutal. Dunbar-Ortiz comments that the Scotts-Irish saw themselves as the “true and authentic patriots” (54) because they “spilled rivers of blood to secure independence and acquire Indigenous lands” (54). This also suggests that religion wasn’t the driving force, telling them it was acceptable to conquer the west, but rather the fact that they spilled blood for the land and physically showed their dominance, that gave the Scotts-Irish the idea that they deserved the