Expanding to the west
The expansion to the west in the late 1800's
Who moved west
The Mormons
The 49ers or 'Argonauts'
People who moved west for free land.
Why people moved west
The Mormons moved west to escape religious prosecution.
The 49ers or 'Argonauts' moved west in 1849 to seek gold when James Marshall found gold at 'Sutter's Mill' in California.
There was also people who moved west for free land. The deal was (with the land rush) that if someone moved west they will be given 160 acres to cultivate for five years, and if they do they get the land.
When the government opened up the native american land in 1889 thousands of people came to obtain some land for themselves.
Problems faced by the people that went west
They also had to watch out for diseases, find water, and the fight the weather. They also had droughts in the west.
What was life like in the west
Settlers faced harsh conditions such as droughts.
What role did the government play in getting people to move west
The Homestead act (1862): This act stated that any adult citizen (or intended citizen) who have never fought against the united states of america could 'claim' 160 acres of surveyed government land.
Oklahoma land rush (1889): The government opened up the Unassigned Lands to the homestead act.