In 1803 Thomas Jefferson wanted to expand the United States. Thomas Jefferson knew that France and Great Britain were in war and needed money so he bought land from Great Britain to expand the United States. It only cost 15 million dollars to buy the land.
Stephen Long
When the USA bought the land they had no clue what was on the land. So in 1804 they sent out Lewis and Clark to search the land. They only traveled 123 miles in Kansas. They went to on the North East side they said that Kansas was "A Great Beauty".
Jackson's Speech
Zebulon Pike also traveled the land. He traveled on the West side of Kansas and he described Kansas as a desert and a worthless piece of land. He compared Kansas to the Africa deserts.
Indian Removal Act
Stephen Long also traveled the new land but he traveled a different way. He traveled by stem boat. He also was on the western side of Kansas and he described Kansas as the "Great American Desert". He told the government this and they said they don't want to live there if they can't grow crops.
This is the Great American Desert
Jackson's Speech was about how he might as-well live on the Northern land because it was better. He knew that the land on the South was bad and he could not farm so that led him to the IRA.
The USA wanted to live on the Northern side because there was better land but there was all ready an Indian tribe living there. So they forced the tribe to leave and go down to the bad land. So they could have the good land.