Westward Expansion

United States History

Introduction We will discuss the variety of reasons for people

relocating to the west and take a look at the journey they made, and the troubles they faced along the way.

Some of you might be able to relate to this, by moving somewhere new and exciting, but having a few struggles along the way. But ultimately, things worked out in the new location.

Reasons Settlers Settled West

There were forces that helped to push settlers west. That is, there were reasons why pioneers wanted to leave the east and move to new lands in the west. Pioneer settlers were sometimes pushed west because

they couldn't find good jobs that paid enough. Others had trouble finding land to farm.

There were factors that helped pull settlers west. There were reasons why moving west sounded better to the pioneer settler than staying in the east. Pioneer settlers were sometimes pulled west because

they wanted to make a better living. Others received letters from friends or family members who had moved west. These letters often told about a good life on the frontier.

Land The biggest factor that pulled pioneers west was the

opportunity to buy land. Pioneers could purchase land for a small price compared to what it cost in states to the east.

All land west of the brown shaded region had been unexplored and up for grabs.

The California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush took place between 1848 and 1855. During this time gold was discovered in California. Over 300,000 people rushed to California to find gold and "strike it rich". Gold was the first major motivation to bring settlers West. We are going to explore a little of the California Gold Rush and its impact on the Westward Expansion.

The “Rush” Before the gold rush, there were only around

14,000 non-Native Americans living in California. This soon changed. Around 6,000 people arrived in 1848 and in 1849 around 90,000 people arrived to hunt for gold. These people were called the Forty-niners. They came from all around the world. Some were Americans, but many came from places like China, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

Gold attracted many settlers to make the move westward.

The California Gold Rush

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Means of Travel

Most settlers traveled in farm wagons, four feet by ten feet, with a thousand pounds of food. These wagons had cotton covers treated with linseed oil to keep the rain out. Many were equipped with tool boxes, water containers, and spare axles as breaking an axle without a spare meant abandoning the wagon. 

Terrain/Conditions While Traveling

Climate constantly changed throughout the seasons, and some travelers would have to plan ahead of time to travel during the best season

Summer- hot and dry; leads to drought, dust storms, and insects (grasshoppers!)

Fall dry- leads to fires! Winter- bitterly cold with deadly blizzards Spring- tornadoes, hailstorms, and flooding from

melting winter snow

Terrain/Conditions While Traveling

Definitions to Know: Climate-average weather conditions of a place over a

period of years. Vegetation-things growing from the ground; plant life. Terrain-ground or an area of land.

BrainPOP! In this BrainPOP video on westward

expansion, Tim and Moby will teach you about the hardships they faced, and the rewards they reaped.

BrainPOP Westward Expansion

Review Questions: What were the “push/pull” factors

associated with the Westward Expansion? Why was California appealing to settlers

looking to move west? How did the settlers travel west? The four seasons brought different

climates/conditions for the settlers. Describe how each season presented an issue.

Activity: Surely most of you have moved to a new

town/city or even country. In this assignment, I need you to answer the question: would you ever move to a foreign land that had never been explored before? Compose in a narrative format (2 or 3

paragraphs, no bulleted items). Tell me what you would bring, your

emotions while moving and your motivation to move there.