USA HISTORY

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: -Western settlers of the 1800s included African Americans who were both former slaves and freeborn, Chinese Americans who moved to California with the railways, and Hispanic Americans who were given the chance to become American citizens after the Mexican-American war.

Detailed explanation-3: -Land, mining, and improved transportation by rail brought settlers to the American West during the Gilded Age.

Detailed explanation-4: -In the 1840’s, the American West was sparsely occupied. The largest groups of residents included Native Americans, who lived throughout the region, and Spanish-speaking settlers, who were dominant in the Southwest.