In this module, we will discuss the variety of reasons for people relocating to the west and take a look at the journey they made, and the troubles they faced along the way. Some of you might be able to relate to this, by moving somewhere new and exciting, but having a few struggles along the way. But ultimately, things worked out in the new location. Many of these people we’re excited to move westward and start new lives, but they were unaware of how long and difficult the journey would be. They faced high mountain ranges, rivers, different climates and terrain that some were not used to.

2.  We will discuss the variety of reasons for people relocating
to the west and take a look at the journey they made, and
the troubles they faced along the way.
 Some of you might be able to relate to this, by moving
somewhere new and exciting, but having a few struggles
along the way. But ultimately, things worked out in the new
location.

3.  There were forces that helped to push settlers west. That is,
there were reasons why pioneers wanted to leave the east
and move to new lands in the west.
 Pioneer settlers were sometimes pushed west because they
couldn't find good jobs that paid enough. Others had trouble
finding land to farm.
 There were factors that helped pull settlers west. There were
reasons why moving west sounded better to the pioneer
settler than staying in the east.
 Pioneer settlers were sometimes pulled west because they
wanted to make a better living. Others received letters from
friends or family members who had moved west. These letters
often told about a good life on the frontier.

4.  The biggest factor that pulled pioneers west was
the opportunity to buy land. Pioneers could
purchase land for a small price compared to what
it cost in states to the east.
 All land west of the brown shaded region had been
unexplored and up for grabs.

5. The California Gold Rush took place between 1848 and
1855. During this time gold was discovered in California.
Over 300,000 people rushed to California to find gold and
"strike it rich". Gold was the first major motivation to
bring settlers West. We are going to explore a little of the
California Gold Rush and its impact on the Westward
Expansion.

6.  The “Rush”
 Before the gold rush, there were only around
14,000 non-Native Americans living in
California. This soon changed. Around 6,000
people arrived in 1848 and in 1849 around
90,000 people arrived to hunt for gold. These
people were called the Forty-niners. They came
from all around the world. Some were
Americans, but many came from places like
China, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.
 Gold attracted many settlers to make the move
westward.

7.  Most settlers traveled in farm wagons, four feet by ten feet,
with a thousand pounds of food. These wagons had cotton
covers treated with linseed oil to keep the rain out. Many
were equipped with tool boxes, water containers, and spare
axles as breaking an axle without a spare meant abandoning
the wagon.

8.  Climate constantly changed throughout the seasons, and
some travelers would have to plan ahead of time to travel
during the best season
 Summer- hot and dry; leads to drought, dust storms, and
insects (grasshoppers!)
 Fall dry- leads to fires!
 Winter- bitterly cold with deadly blizzards
 Spring- tornadoes, hailstorms, and flooding from melting
winter snow

9.  Definitions to Know:
 Climate-average weather conditions of a place over a period of
years.
 Vegetation-things growing from the ground; plant life.
 Terrain-ground or an area of land.

10.  In this BrainPOP video on westward
expansion, Tim and Moby will teach you about
the hardships they faced, and the rewards they
reaped.
 BrainPOP Westward Expansion

11.  What were the “push/pull” factors associated
with the Westward Expansion?
 Why was California appealing to settlers
looking to move west?
 How did the settlers travel west?
 The four seasons brought different
climates/conditions for the settlers. Describe
how each season presented an issue.

12.  Surely most of you have moved to a new
town/city or even country. In this assignment,
I need you to answer the question: would you
ever move to a foreign land that had never
been explored before?
 Compose in a narrative format (2 or 3
paragraphs, no bulleted items).
 Tell me what you would bring, your
emotions while moving and your
motivation to move there.