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The Role Of Western Migration In The Nineteenth Century

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One major cause of western migration in the nineteenth century was the California Gold Rush. Many poorer families decided to move their entire family by carriage to California in order to make a better living. Families fought through many hardships to achieve this dream, however, as family members died from illnesses such as Camp Fever. While most families looked at the beneficial opportunities of acquiring this gold, many families walked away from this endeavor penniless. As word of this gold rush filtered throughout the rest of the states, California became the primary reason people were settling west at the time. People from all over the country came from boat and from wagon to achieve this newfound “American Dream.” As a result of this…show more content…
With more efficient ways of traveling west and the transportation of goods nationwide, citizens saw the opportunity to escape the overcrowding of cities. Although treaties had been established, yet another siege of American Indians’ land was practically inevitable. With Native American reservations being encroached upon, American citizens came across yet another beneficial resource. With their hides being used as a primary source of income for some westerners, buffalo became another resource that boosted the American economy. As PBS has stated, the railroad had introduced these herds to industrial production, and the abrupt depletion of this resource for Native Americans negated a big staple of their diet. ("American Experience: TV's Most-watched History Series." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 26 July 2016.) The “Gilded Age” was a period of time in which corruption was high and the wealth of the nation was unproportionally spread. Laissez Faire was a government policy that fueled the growth of the “Gilded Age.” Laissez Faire, meaning let it alone, was a government policy that prohibited the government from interfering with private
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