Right off the bat as the United States expanded Westward, buffalos became more abundant. The Americans would sell the buffalo hides for the high class to purchase. The fur was a great resource and they were not only warm and fashionable, but they were also waterproof which made them even more valuable. This made merchants and hunter very wealthy which helped the economy grow. Then, once the United States took over California, a man named James Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Sawmill (Target sheet). Everyone was astonished by this finding and wasn’t sure to believe it or not. But then, in a speech said by President Polk, he states that “The exploration already made warrant the belief that the supply is very large and that gold is found at various places in an extensive district of the country (Document I).” Once he pronounced this, people all around the country traveled to California in search of gold. This became a huge fiasco and made the U.S. tremendously wealthier. This also incidentally made merchants very wealthy since many of the miners left everything at home. Overall, from the resources and profits, it shows that Manifest