Moving West...The Reasons behind the move

Distribution of Population

1880On your map color in the areas where the majority of the people

live

East Coast Cities

Dreams of a Better LifePositives of Moving Negatives of Moving

The Pull Factors: Going WestGovernment Incentives = Homestead Act

Stories of Hope and Fortune = GOLD

Easy Travel and transportation = Transcontinental RR

Tired of Living in crowded eastern cities

Homestead Act: 1862Law that gave 160 acres of land to citizens

who met certain conditionsAge, agreed to farm the land, build a house

By 1900: More than 80 million acres had been established by the Homestead Act

Immigrants Moving WestAttracted by jobs and cheap land

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html

Ethnic Group(s) Where they Settled

What they Did

Germans Around the Missouri River

Farming, built tight knit communities

Irish, Italians, & Chinese

West Coast Cities Mining & Railroad Construction

Mexicans California and Texas Ranching & Mining

Final ThoughtsIt was not always as good as it seemed

Needed Luck and Hardwork to survive

Remember... What group is already living in the west??

Map