Push vs Pull factors

Factor 2/5 that leads to Westward Expansion

Pull factors

• Availability of free land

• The relocation of Native Americans

• Opportunities provided by the Federal government acts

• Prospect of gold in California

• Stories from settlers

• More productive farms

• Development of railways —> EASIER TO TRAVEL, MORE JOBS WITH RAILWAY COMPANIES

Push factors

• Rising commodity (materials) prices drove up land prices; people couldn’t pay

• Returning soldiers in eastern states offered only limited opportunities

• Plantations are unprofitable

• Europeans suffering from the same economic problems as eastern farmers

• Mormons and Jews moved to west to escape prejudice and discrimination

• Eastern lands were rocky and not fertile

• Yields were declining as much of the land was exhausted

• Slaves moved West for better attitudes

• Difficult to prosper on Eastern lands

• Failure of crops meant that some went hungry

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