Reasons People Moved Westward in the Early Part of our History
In the early 1800s people living in the United States started moving west. Many flocked to new states and territories that were located west of the Appalachian Mountains. European pioneers traveled west , but the majority were Easterners. They were looking to start a new life that wasn't as crowded. Pioneers sometimes went west to find better jobs. Not as many people lived in the west, so that meant less competition for businesses. Many people traveled west for religious freedom, usually Mormons, or the rich farmland beyond the Rockies. In 1848 gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in California, causing the California Gold Rush. Transportation, like steamboat and steam engine, made it easier to move things from one part of the country to another.
The government encouraged people to move west so the new territories could be added to the United States. The belief that Americans were entitled and ordained by God to occupy all of North America was known as Manifest Destiny. Land was very cheap, and non-crowded, at the time and allowed for people to buy lots of it. Many travelers were looking for some adventure, and moving west where there hadn't been much settlement was a great way to get it. The Industrial Revolution also got people to move west because many immigrants were coming to America and landing in the east.
I like learning about this time in our history, but I'll admit it was very hard to find information. Every website I went to said about the same as others I visited. I do think it's quite funny how back then people would move where the was less people, and nowadays people move into big cities where there are more people. I didn't know that was one of the reasons they moved west. I also didn't know people traveled from Europe just to go west. I figured they had lived in the east for a while. I look forward to researching this topic more and learning things I've missed.
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