MANIFEST DESTINY 1806 1855
THE OREGON TRAIL WESTWARD MIGRATION TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Gold Rush
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Too many people on the East coast.
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religious freedom
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all of the above
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Detailed explanation-1: -Gold rush and mining opportunities (silver in Nevada) The opportunity to work in the cattle industry; to be a “cowboy” Faster travel to the West by railroad; availability of supplies due to the railroad. The opportunity to own land cheaply under the Homestead Act.
Detailed explanation-2: -Between the 1840s and the 1860s, hundreds of thousands of Americans traveled west in covered wagons pulled by teams of oxen. There were four main overland routes, all branching out from Independence, Missouri: the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, The Mormon Trail, and the Santa Fe Trail.
Detailed explanation-3: -Mountains, rivers, and deserts were potentially deadly barriers to travel. The lack of water in arid regions was a real threat, and wild animals also might prove deadly. Outlaws operated along the western trails and stole from pioneers.
Detailed explanation-4: -Pioneers and settlers moved out west for different reasons. Some of them wanted to claim free land for ranching and farming from the government through the Homestead Act. Others came to California during the gold rush to strike it rich. Even others, such as the Mormons, moved west to avoid persecution.