WESTWARD EXPANSION INDUSTRIALIZATION URBANIZATION 1870 1900
WESTWARD EXPANSION
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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European Immigrant
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Asian Immigrant
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Mexican American
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African American
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Detailed explanation-1: -One of the main reasons people moved west was for the land. There was lots of land, good soil for farming, and it could be bought at a cheap price. In addition, it was very crowded living on the East Coast. The population of the United States was growing at a very fast rate.
Detailed explanation-2: -The westward expansion carried slavery down into the Southwest, into Mississippi, Alabama, crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana. Finally, by the 1840’s, it was pouring into Texas. So the expansion of slavery, which became the major political question of the 1850’s, was not just a political issue.
Detailed explanation-3: -Trappers, settlers, and miners headed West from the eastern United States prior to the Civil War. The Homestead Act, passed in 1862, allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of land for free.
Detailed explanation-4: -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.