American West - Migration West

Migration West: Push and Pull Factors in the American West

This video explores the reasons behind westward migration in 19th-century America, covering key events, push and pull factors, and the role of Manifest Destiny in shaping the nation's expansion. It’s part of the American West module for the Edexcel GCSE exam but relevant to anyone interested in the era's history.

Key Topics Covered

Push Factors
Economic Hardship:
Collapse in wheat prices due to poor harvests.
Financial crises, like the 1837 economic depression, leading to unemployment.
Overpopulation: Crowding in the eastern states pushed people to seek more space.
Persecution: Groups like the Mormons faced religious persecution and were forced to migrate west.

Pull Factors
Freedom and Independence: The opportunity to start anew.
Fertile Land: Promise of abundant, arable land in the West.
Gold Discoveries: Beginning in 1848 in California and later in the Rockies (1858) and Black Hills (1874).
Oregon Trail: Opened up easier routes for westward migration, starting with Jebediah Smith’s discovery of the South Pass in 1825.

Timeline of Key Events

1825: Jebediah Smith discovers the South Pass through the Rockies.
1836: First wagon trains successfully complete the Oregon Trail.
1837: Financial crisis sparks economic depression and migration.
1841: U.S. government publishes an official map of the Oregon Trail.
1846: The Mormon migration westward begins after being banished from Illinois.
1848: Gold discovered in California, igniting a rush westward.
1858: Gold discovered in the Rockies.
1874: Gold found in the Black Hills of Dakota.
Manifest Destiny
This belief that white Americans were divinely destined to settle all of America justified the westward expansion.
The U.S. government encouraged migration to secure western territories from foreign powers.
Recap:
Push Factors: Economic struggles, overpopulation, persecution.
Pull Factors: Fertile land, gold discoveries, opportunities for independence.

This video highlights the motivations and events that drove thousands to migrate westward, transforming the American landscape.

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