Nation Building The United States of America became stronger, as a country, after it became independent from the British Empire following several inventions and events. Some of these include economic improvements, due to the first Industrial Revolution, the War of 1812, which brought a sense of nationalism to the United States, and westward expansion, inspired by nationalism and brought about by the Louisiana Purchase. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The transition from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy occurred between 1790 and 1830. The first industrial revolution began after the introduction of new technologies in the United States, such as the first industrial mill. The economic takeoff of the Industrial Revolution that would transform American life was also the result of new organizational strategies to increase productivity, such as the home-work system and the introduction of the factory system. However, perhaps the most famous contribution to the economic takeoff was the result of the construction of the Erie Canal to transport goods produced in factories. For example, cotton from the South was brought to the North where it could be processed in factories. This was all due to the War of 1812, which increased the manufacturing capacity of the United States. The War of 1812 helped lay the foundation for economic expansion in the years following the war. Americans saw the need to defend national honor during and after the war. This brought a feeling of nationalism to the American people, even though there was no real victory. Americans especially celebrated the defeat of the British army at New Orleans. There was a strong growing feeling of national pride after surviving the war and securing the independence won in the American Revolution. Westward expansion gave the American people of the West beliefs of individualism, political democracy, and economic mobility. After the War of 1812, the western frontier presented an opportunity to start over. Westward expansion began when the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land from France in 1803. The land that Jefferson had purchased west of the Mississippi River was completely unknown to Americans and needed to be surveyed, or explored, before it could be colonized. Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an expedition that lasted from May 1804 to September 1806. They found no waterways from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean, one of their primary objectives, but they documented more than 100 new animals and 178 plants and created 140 maps of the previously unknown region. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The United States of America became stronger as a country country, after becoming independent, because of nationalism. The rate of progress and prosperity at which independence and economic improvement have made the United States a stronger, prouder, and, with westward expansion, more purposeful country.