Why Did People Move West In The 1800s?

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From my point of view, the biggest motivating factor for westward expansion was to find new economic opportunities, such as the pursuit of gold and the opportunity to escape the East and start a new life. Those things drove Americans to the West. First of all, the pursuit of gold drove people west. From ancient times to the present, people’s pursuit of gold has never diminished. A few pieces of gold can change a person’s destiny. What a simple and easy opportunity it is, especially for the middle class or workers, “This is the lure of easy wealth that outweighs the perils of the journey itself.” Historians Harris and Karen wrote in their passage. Harris, Karen. “Why Did People Move West in the 1800s?” OldWest, 17 May (2023) A few centuries ago, …show more content…
Even if the hope of getting rich overnight is rarely realized, some people still hold on to it. So many people came to the west with a gambling mentality and lived here. Another great opportunity is to start a new life. Under the influence of the Industrial Revolution, many factories were built in eastern cities, and production was carried out in an orderly manner. There were tens of thousands of employees and working conditions in factories were often harsh. “Hours are long, typically ten to twelve hours a day. Working conditions were frequently unfazed and led to deadly accidents. Tasks tended to be divided for efficiency’s sake, which led to repetitive and monotonous work for employees.”(“America at Work : Articles and Essays : America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures from 1894-1915 : Digital Collections : Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress, Accessed 7 Mar. 2024. ) What’s more serious is that these employees are often responsible for the family’s financial resources. Some working class and immigrant families often need to have many family members, including women and children, work in factories to survive. The working conditions in factories are often
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