Why did thousands of people
move west to Oregon and
California in the 1840s?
What were the push and
pull factors that made
them Go West?
Lesson Objectives
 To
identify the key groups who
moved West by 1895
 To identify the differences between
the Early Settlers and the Late
Settlers
 To explain the different push and pull
factors for different groups moving
West
Who were the Early Settlers?
Clue
What does it
Who might
suggest about the people
the people?
be?
Why would
they go West?
Oregon - Farms
Great Salt
Lake Mormons
California - Gold
The Plains
- Plains
Indians
first, then
Homesteaders
Texas and
Plains Cattlemen
and
Cowboys
1843
The Year of the Great Migration
1000 people emigrated
1845
5000 went west
1849
30, 000
1850
55,000
Which are push and which are pull factors?
Gold discovered
Financial Crisis
Growing Population
in California 1848
High unemployment and
bankruptcy
(many lost their jobs and
went out of business)
1837
High immigration from
Europe and China caused
overcrowding in the East
Many of them were very
poor
Manifest Destiny
Land was expensive
The government set up
boards of immigration,
published maps and reports
and provided protection for
travellers by sending units of
the US Army to the West
Due to overcrowding
Promise of cheap
land
Religious
Persecution
Reports (stories)
Mormons were tarred and
feathered for their beliefs
In Oregon and California
of how wonderful the west
was reached the East. Some
of the reports came from
missionaries who wanted
help, others came from
people who wanted to make
money from the new settlers
Can you think
of another
one?
Which are push and which are pull factors?
Gold discovered
Financial Crisis
Growing Population
in California 1848
(many lost their jobs and
went out of business)
Many people moved to
America from Europe and
China caused overcrowding
in the East
Many of them were very
poor
1837
Manifest Destiny
Land was expensive
The government tried to get
people to move to America
by publishing maps and
reports and tried to protect
travellers with the US Army
There were too many people
in the East who wanted to
buy land to farm
Religious
Persecution
Reports (stories)
Mormons were tarred and
feathered for their beliefs
of how wonderful the west
was reached the East. Some
of the reports came from
missionaries who wanted
help, others came from
people who wanted to make
money from the new settlers
Promise of cheap
land
In Oregon and California –
the government kept prices
low.