"There ought to be no New England men, no New Yorker known on the continent, but all of us Americans."1

To start we must first look at the word nationalism and define what it means in this term. Nationalism in this case is the patriotic feeling that the Americans had due to the expansion along with other things. The nationalism that Americans felt started before 1789.

They had banded together and created an invincible civilian army and defeated the strongest nation in the world, Britain.

In 1777 they chose ‘the stars and stripes’ to be the United States National Flag. With 13 stripes for the founding 13 states, it was later decided that stars would be added with each new addition to the statehood. Americans were able to feel that they were now one country not several states, the flag became the symbol of nationalism.

The constitution of 1787 encouraged the admittance of new states into the union ‘New states may be admitted by congress into this union’2. It became linked with nationalism, it holds a symbolic value and binds the country together, it gives them their freedom and liberty but also their link

As each new state was admitted the size of the United States grew. When America purchased Louisiana from Napoleon in 1803 for $15 million the size of America doubled.

The first document I will look at is ‘Jefferson seeks Congressional Funding for Exploration of the Louisiana Territory, 1803.’pg 168 of the Enduring Voices book. The document talks about how America wanted to ensure a quick expansion into Louisiana. Jefferson speaks of wanting to involve the natives in discussions so that they can establish trade. He goes on to say that it is their constitutional right to expand into the west, and it will extend their commerce.

The problem with the Native Indians in the West encouraged nationalism. All of the United States were allied to trying to move the Indians away from where Americans wanted to expand to.

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