Reasons for going west (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Reasons for going west
Introduction
During the period 1840-1895, millions of Americans moved westward across the continent. The reasons for this massive migration changed significantly before and after the Civil War. Initially, most people went west simply looking for land, but after the Civil War, the motivations became much more complex and varied.
The government actively promoted westward expansion through a policy known as Manifest Destiny - the belief that America was destined to stretch from coast to coast. This policy included building railroads, offering free land, and encouraging settlement through publicity campaigns.
When studying westward migration, historians classify the reasons people moved into two categories: push factors (things that forced people to leave their current location) and pull factors (things that attracted people to move west).
Understanding push and pull factors is essential for analysing migration patterns. Push factors create pressure to leave a current location, while pull factors create attraction towards a new destination. Most migration involves a combination of both types of factors working together.
Economic reasons for moving west
The economic motivations for westward movement were powerful both in pushing people away from their current situations and pulling them towards new opportunities.
Push factors
After the Civil War ended in 1865, many freed slaves faced severe economic problems in the South. The Southern economy was devastated, and former slaves found few opportunities for employment or advancement. This economic hardship pushed many to seek better prospects in the western territories.
Pull factors
The most significant economic pull factor was the Homestead Act of 1862, which offered free land to settlers. This law provided 160 acres of public land to anyone who agreed to live on and farm the land for five years. For people who could never have afforded to buy land in the South or East, this represented an incredible opportunity.
Worked Example: How the Homestead Act Worked
Step 1: A settler would file a claim for 160 acres of available public land Step 2: They paid a small filing fee (usually around $10-18) Step 3: They built a home and farmed the land for 5 consecutive years Step 4: After 5 years, they received full ownership of the land for free
This meant a family could obtain land worth hundreds of dollars for virtually nothing, provided they were willing to work and live on it.
Railroad companies also created economic incentives by offering discounted travel, accommodation, and even temporary housing until settlers could establish their own homesteads. They also reduced taxes for new settlers, making the move more affordable.
Many former soldiers from the Civil War were drawn west by the promise of starting fresh lives with new economic opportunities, using their military experience and government benefits to establish themselves in frontier communities.
Religious motivations
Religious freedom and opportunity motivated significant numbers of European immigrants to settle in the American West during this period.
Push factors
In Europe after the Civil War, many religious groups faced persecution or restrictions. Dutch Protestants, Irish Catholics, and Jews from Eastern Europe experienced various forms of discrimination that encouraged them to emigrate.
Pull factors
Railroad companies actively encouraged European settlers by establishing dedicated departments to recruit immigrants. They understood that religious communities would often migrate together, creating stable settlements that would use railroad services for years to come.
Religious communities often migrated as groups, which helped them maintain their cultural identity and religious practices while establishing new settlements. This group migration pattern also provided mutual support and reduced the risks of frontier life.
Political factors encouraging westward movement
The federal government implemented several policies that actively encouraged westward settlement, making it both legally attractive and practically feasible.
The Homestead Act of 1862 was not just an economic incentive but also a political statement about American expansion and opportunity. Federal laws promised free land as a fundamental right for American citizens and immigrants willing to become citizens.
The government promoted Manifest Destiny through various means, including encouraging new railroad construction in the West. The American government gave railroad companies land grants of two miles on either side of their tracks, which the companies then offered to settlers. This led to massive publicity campaigns encouraging people to "Go West!"
Government policy was the driving force behind westward expansion. Without federal legislation like the Homestead Act and Pacific Railroad Act, the massive scale of westward migration would not have been possible. The government's active promotion of expansion was essential to achieving Manifest Destiny.
Government publicity campaigns painted an attractive picture of life in the West, promoting it as a place where settlers would become wealthy and find freedom. The government's policy of moving Plains Indians onto reservations also gave potential settlers confidence that they would be safe when moving west.
Other significant factors
Violence as a push factor
Increasing violence from groups like the Ku Klux Klan made life dangerous for freed slaves in the South. This violence made moving west very attractive as an escape from persecution and danger.
Success stories as pull factors
Early settlers who had moved west after the Civil War sent back stories describing life full of opportunity and freedom. These positive accounts encouraged more people to migrate, creating a cycle of continued westward movement.
Personal testimonies and success stories were powerful motivators for westward migration. Letters from family and friends who had successfully established themselves in the West often convinced others to make the journey, creating chain migration patterns.
The crucial role of railroads
The development of the railroad system was essential to making westward migration practical and affordable for ordinary Americans.
Before the Civil War, Southern states had tried to prevent the government from encouraging western settlement. However, after Southern states left the Union, the American government passed laws like the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862.
This legislation allowed huge railroads to be built across America, connecting the East and West coasts. New railroads could take settlers and supplies to the West quickly and cheaply, making the journey much more accessible than the dangerous waggon train routes of earlier decades.
The railroads also enabled Western farmers to send their agricultural produce back east for sale, making farming in the West economically viable. By 1890, railroads had helped settle people on approximately 200 million acres in the West.
Railroads were absolutely essential to successful westward expansion. Without reliable, affordable transportation, most settlers could not have made the journey or sustained their new communities. The railroad system transformed westward migration from a dangerous, expensive journey into a practical option for ordinary families.
Timeline of major events
- 1862: Homestead Act passed, offering free land to settlers
- 1862: Pacific Railroad Act passed, authorising transcontinental railroad construction
- 1865: Civil War ends, freed slaves begin migrating west
- 1869: First transcontinental railroad completed
- 1870s-1880s: Peak period of European immigration to American West
- 1890: Railroad settlement reaches approximately 200 million acres
Key Points to Remember:
- Push and pull factors both contributed to westward migration - people were escaping problems in the East and South while being attracted to opportunities in the West
- The Homestead Act of 1862 was the most important single factor, offering free land that many Americans could never have afforded to buy
- Railroads were essential to westward expansion, making travel affordable and enabling Western farmers to sell their crops in Eastern markets
- Government policy actively promoted westward movement through Manifest Destiny, land grants, and publicity campaigns
- Multiple groups participated in westward migration, including freed slaves, European immigrants, and Civil War veterans, each with their own specific motivations