Moving West
The Land of Opportunity
Plain and Simple
The land that is west of the Mississippi is filled with the unknown. You may think that there is no reason to take a chance and experience new things, because you have absolutely no idea of what is waiting on the other side of the river. Never taking risks in life is not the way to go; what you may be scared of has the possibility of not even being there. It is better to go out and try something rather than regret it later on down the road. What if there is untapped wealth, plentiful food, endless lands, and wonderful experiences to be had? Let's focus on the known: no crowds, fresh air, so much land, good soil, no disease, and sweet freedom!!
Peace and Quiet
Look at how you would have nothing to worry about. All you would have to do is build a nice little homestead, courtesy of the Homestead Act, on the beautiful shore of the majestic water and you would have an endless view of natural beauty.
Nothing But Open Land
There is nothing to fear because you will have no one to bother you for great distances. Talk about freedom to live your life the way you want to.
Natural Barriers
There is nothing wrong with a little privacy. Even though there will be others with you in your traveling party, there will be natural protection along the way from potential tribes and/or enemies. More Indians have died by the white man's hand than the other way around. It is a safe and prosperous move for all.
Need a Better Economic Status?
Economic Gain
Moving West gives you the chance for a new economic start. There will basically be no costs for living in undiscovered land, no one owns the land so you don't have to buy it. Sure there will be some regular everyday costs that would need to be done at the beginning of the trip to stock up, but nothing major along the way. If need be you can sell things you aren't taking for extra money and to purchase things you think you will need later like seeds and cloth. Take some things that you would be willing to trade with to get things at forts along the way. Most materials will come from the land. Since this whole process will obviously take a lot of time, there would be no payments that would be using the money that you are trying so hard to hang onto. Building a new settlement and being able to run and organize it yourself would allow you to spend what you think would be necessary. Therefore, it would be up to you on how you would spend money rather than having someone tell you how much you owe on something that doesn't totally belong to you.
Indians? We've Got That Covered.
Nothing to be Worried About
As you may be thinking, there have been some conflicts with the Native Americans. They are no match for the refined and heavily ambitious white American. We have settled most of our conflicts through the American Indian War, but that is long past us and nothing that you should worry about. If there ever was to be a conflict, we as a country will take care of it. Hey, you also will not know if there are even Indians to have a conflict with if you do not go out and take chances.
Victories
We have many victories over the Indians to be very proud of. For one, we passed the Indian Removal Act so we basically secured this land for the common white man so that they can be free of worry. The land is there for us, so why not use it? We have even gone to the extent of trying to assimilate the Indians into our own culture to try and lessen a chance for disagreement. This would be know as the Dawes Act. It is probably not the most effective way to get rid of our hardships, but it is something.
Calling All Farmers
If you are an experienced farmer and at least have an idea about what you are doing, moving West is the answer to all of your problems. There is a lot of fresh, fertile soil that as far as we know has never been used to harvest crops. Just imagine how well your crops will be doing when you have so many nutrients being absorbed making the final product so much better than it would be if you choose to keep growing on the same land that your ancestors used. The benefits definitely outweigh the negatives because better crops ultimately means that you can make more money to start your new way of life on the right foot.
Manifest Destiny
The term Manifest Destiny means the spiritual belief of expanding the country from coast to coast. People that are involved and active with this belief are helping this country expand to it entirety. The government has been helpful to the people by making agreements with other countries to gain valuable land. These are know as purchases and now we just need adventurous people to go explore the land. Wouldn't it be rewarding to find something that has never been seen before and make a great life from it just because you took a chance?
Quick Reminder
Anyone that has any hope in traveling West should know that it is an extremely tiresome,lengthy journey. You have no choice but to be independent. There will be no one except you and your traveling party for miles and miles. Living off the land and not being scared is also important. Knowing how to survive off of very little and how to think on your feet and solve problems is vital because there will be no civilization for further than the eye can see. It will only become a rewarding reality if you put in the time, dedication, and complete effort.