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land was what many wanted, it would be given out to those who wanted it as long as it was farmed. Others looked for gold, finding an easy way to get rich. Some people hoped that by traveling west, they would escape sickness such as malaria, cholera, and dysentery yet, these were also picked up on the trails. A depression from 1837 to 1842 was happening, it drove thousandths westward. A few people were hoping to escape the law or debt. Many wanted to practice their religion their own way.
Some were farmers who were feeling spaceless and headed west for more farmland. Others wanted improved weather and health. Many families, including women and children, were willing to risk so much and move west in the mid-19th century. Being brave and having faith helped many of these families achieve going westward.
Even though there were numerous reasons to move west, there were also hardships too. First, “women usually never had a say in whether they were going or not,” then they had to sell anything and everything that would not be of any use on the trail.
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“ Amazing as always, gave her a week to finish a big assignment and came through way ahead of time. ”
“A six-month journey started, at times it was longer,” and all of the time was spent on the trail, out in the middle of nowhere and the wilderness. Many passed away usually having to get over it fast to continue on their journey otherwise they would be a weak link family. “Indian or animal attacks” were often amongst the travelers. When a wagon breaks down the whole crew stops and waits for it to get fixed.
Although it was not often that it was used, cannibalism was one of the only ways to make it west. Diseases were all over the trails. Giving birth on the trails was often just like teen marrying men of older age. One of the biggest challenges was the “terrain and weather,” during the river crosses many supplies would get lost, other retrieved. At times the wagons could get stuck due to the mud in those terrains. Blizzards were known as the death of a few pioneer groups because either people would freeze to the death or the wagons somehow would get stuck in the snow. On occasions, Wagons were struck by lightning.
“Manifest Destiny was also one of the major parts in this westward movement.” It was not an official government policy but was promoted throughout the posters, newspapers, magazines. around town. This term was first used by John O’Sullivan, a democratic leader and editor of the “Morning Post,” in 1845. O’Sullivan was demonstrated and tried to say that “It was a god-given right to conquer all North America.” Before long, everyone started to move. One of the major reasons why manifest destiny was going on is because “they were using it as an excuse” as to why were they getting all of the lands they got. Settlers would say that is was manifest destiny to conquer all that land they did. Reserves are where native Americans were sent after it was because of manifest destiny to conquer everything. Building the transcontinental railroad and buying more land was also manifest destiny according to the people back in this century. Many of these families risked the move because they wanted to experiment with a new adventure and many new technologies.
For many, their destination, unfortunately, was never achieved. Many thought the “Rocky Mountains were too steep and cold” and that if you go that way you would have a bigger chance of perishing. So, they settled down on the prairie. “The Great Plains had few to no trees, dirt, and grass was all the settlers had so that's what they would have to settle for.” The houses were made of mud bricks, the grass side down and they would be usually fourteen by fifteen each. “The bricks were heated by cow dung and ‘harvested’ in the morning.” Having a family was an important factor, every family lived together in the prairie. Children had to help out on anything at a very young age because whatever could be done the better. Life was hard work and until you got used to your lifestyle, surviving was a priority to all. At times there were “tornados and locusts.” Grasshoppers would come at times in huge numbers and would eat the crops the pioneers planted. Luckily the numbers decreased within the next thirty years, enough for the Americans to still live on the Plains and be able to handle the grasshoppers. everything the pioneers ate was something they grew. “Oat, wheat, and rye were the top crops the pioneers would grow.” Flour and butter were made out of these items. Pioneers also had farm animals which gave them items such as eggs, milk, and meat. Now that they make their own decisions of what happens in the farm etc., “every loss was always worth the taking.” One of the biggest decisions families had to make as they planned to go west was what were they going to plant and have once they owned their farm in the west.
Nevertheless, others did not just settle with the great plains. Those explorers had to deal with a vast amount of more challenges. Enduring the freezing weather while going over the Rocky Mountains and having to fix their wheels were some of the hardest challenges they had. In addition, “if the pioneers did not leave at the correct time they had to deal with snow,” so during these planning families had to make they had to make a huge decision of when they were going to leave and how long they had to sell stuff etc. Not to mention they still had to cope with pretty much everyday deaths, diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, etc., lack of food, lack of supplies, the ominous feeling something bad is going to happen. On the trails, these men still had to take on everyday deaths, diseases, lack of food, supplies and the fear that something can go sideways at any given time. “Many families did not plan for any of this to happen on their trip thus, making them not achieve their goal west.” During the westward expansion “one of five girls got pregnant during the journey.” It usually would take up to six months to complete it, sometimes even more times due to conditions.
In 1846, a group of eight-seven people attempted to take a shortcut by going through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The weather was bad, there were “twenty-inch blizzards” and the weather did not get any better. The group was stuck for four months in shelters they made themselves with supplies running low. many tried to hunt usually they would come back unsuccessful. Sutter's Fort was what many of those eight seven people were looking forward to, but due to the lack of water and food, they were weak thus, not making it. “Of the eighty-seven from that group that set out, forty-one died and only forty-six lived.” The families that were in this group made the biggest decision ever because no one had ever attempted to go through there. These decisions derived many families crazy and weak due to the stress and not knowing what can happen.
For a small price, the Homestead Act allowed people to claim land. All they had to be able to do was pay the fee, and then for a certain time settle in the land given. Unless they wanted to and had the money, then “they could just purchase the land for $1.25 per acre after six months.” Families that were rich had to make tough decisions if they would leave what they have there for a new and possibly better life or would they stay and keep going how they are. The purpose of this was to encourage people to go out west. You did not have to be a united states citizen you could be a slave, of poor income, etc. to go out west. “In 1862, this law was passed by then-president, Abraha Lincoln.” It was believed that at one point, “ten percent” of the United States was owned under the Homestead Act.
Women had to make hard decisions during this time. young girls of ages fifteen and sixteen were expected to marry. The girls would wear many clothe layers including the “chemise, corset, shirt, hoops, dress, and a coat” when they were going to marry. Decisions like marriage were something girls had to always look forward to being able to live and with whom was also a huge decision to make. Husbands would come home at times and say they were moving west, girls without the power to say no or yes had to sell everything that was not useful and use the money for the wagon. It was common they didn’t have any say at all in whether or not they were going. Then, when they were on the journey itself, “she was responsible for taking care of the children, getting over the death of the children who died, cooking, and doing the laundry, etc.” During her free hours, she would usually do needlework, visit friends/ partners, have picnics. On occasion, a woman would go on the trip west by herself. Many of the widows who had children made decisions themselves if they would be brave and go on this trip or stay back home.” It was a lot harder for those without a husband because the things they had to do doubled.”
Children also had difficult times and decisions to make during this time. Children had to help in any way possible, once they were old enough, they had to help around the house/farm in any way possible. Children had to grow at faster rates during these times if they wanted hopes of survival to be higher. Kids young deaths were high during these times while traveling west many younglings would fall from the wagon and be crushed by it or just died on the spot. To entertain themselves, the children made up games and played with each other if they were not helping around the house. “There was one room available only to teach all the students” and that is where most went if they had enough space. Parents also looked forward to this because if you wanted to have a better education for your children then you would not most likely go west where there is no school or the school is just bad and small. “They started school in November after the harvest was finished.” They also taught during summers for children. “Students that were three years and up had to present to the class what they learned that day.” “Virginia Reed was a traveler whose dad was the leader of the donner party.” With luck, all her family survived the trip to the west and as a teenager, she wrote a firsthand account of what decisions their family made and what happened on the trail. Virginia was “proposed at a very young age,” but declined the man down and was forced to mature at a faster rate than the average girl from that time period. The decision the girls made would be lived changing, so they had to really think about it and make a decision. Occasionally marriages were forced by parents, because of the wealth of the manor because he could be one more helpful asset to the family farm.
Medicine at the time was useless, there was hardly any science behind it. “There were very few doctors in the west,” and if there was then they were really rare. Most of those doctors became doctors by reading a few books and knowing what herb cures a special thing and where to obtain that herb. Since there were hardly any doctors “the people themselves would become their own doctor.” Most of the times it was useless becoming a doctor because most remedies had no good effect and at times it would cause more harm than good. Knowing there were no doctors in the west, people were forced to make the decision to travel west and wish for the best that no family member especially the husband gets sick.
Throughout America and the world, there were many decisions being made by families. American families had to also make the decision to move out and be with Chinese, Norwegians, etc. it would be hard getting along with other racial and cultural families due to the language. “The Rocky Mountains and great plains were settled by various types of ethnic groups.” The African Americans were one of the groups there, most of them were slaves who fled or were set free. This helped many who did not want to be captured and enslaved again, with their own land out west it was all that they needed to be good. Another group is the Chinese. They came over to work on the railroads for the transcontinental railroad. Americans would pay the Chinese twenty-eight dollars a month which made many immigrate over to America. One of the other ethnic groups that arrived to America were the Norwegians. They came over to cut lumber and make some money, money they could not get in their home country. Due to manifest destiny Americans also came over to the west, many wanted a fresh new start so they started migrating west. Native Americans were forced out of their homes to move west. They had the Indian reserves. Families in America had to make these decisions as well to migrate west and be with a whole lot of different ethnic group coming over.
Many families, including women and children, were willing to risk so much and move west in the mid-19th century. Many did not know there was a whole lot of factors to the equation to move west. Thus, moving west was a whole lot harder for them since they did not plan for that. The decisions families including women and children were hard, some would be life or death decisions. Many did these hard decisions to move west and actually execute the plan because they wanted a better life for their families and wanted a fresh new start. Other might have just done it for the fact that there was gold in California or there was land being given away for free or at a cheap price. “The west had a stronger side in Democrats than the east.” It was also stronger in equality as it was settled by people looking for more opportunities. Many professional men had a better chance of making it in the west than in the east. Most settlers in the west thought of themselves as Americans and they wanted a strong national government that would help them with developing transportation and promoting general warfare. One of the most significant features of the westward expansion was that settlers took with them the essential institution of their ethnic race. The westward movement was one of the biggest things that helped shaped the united states and was filled with hard decisions for American families to make.
The Reasons Why People Came to the West. (2021, Dec 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-reasons-why-people-came-to-the-west-essay
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