Westward Migration

Question 1

what were the pull factors for moving west?

Answer 1

-freedom and independence
-Manifest destiny
-The British agreed to give Oregon to America 1846, whilst the defeat of Mexico meant that its colony California became part of the United States in 1848
-Mountain men and the first pioneers sent backstories of large free fertile farmlands in Oregon and sunny California
-Space = Midwest became increasingly settled, some were attracted by the chance to settle on the new “frontier” in the new open spaces of Oregon and California
-Oregon Trail was the only practical way for migrants to get across the mountains with wagons
-Gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada, California in 1848 = 200,000 leaving the East in April 1849 in the hope of finding gold
-Government encouragement: 1842 = the US government passed the Pre-emption Act, which allowed settlers to claim 140 acres of land and then purchase it for $1.25 per acre after a year

Question 2

what were the push factors for moving west?

Answer 2

-collapse of wheat prices
-overpopulation
-persecution
-unemployment
-economic collapse

Question 3

what did Jedediah Smith do?

Answer 3

in 1825, he shared the discovery of the south pass through the Rocky mountains

this was an important part of the Oregon trail
Fur-trappers started to use the route, digging out a path through gullies, clearing scrub vegetation and finding the best spots to cross rivers.​

Question 4

when did the first migrants travel the Oregon trail?

Answer 4

1836 (they travelled by wagon and reached their destination)

Question 5

when did the financial crisis happen and the price of cotton collapse?

Answer 5

1837

Question 6

what was the consequence of the financial crisis of 1837 (5)

Answer 6

-banks ran out of money
-people lost their savings
-businesses closed
-many people lost their jobs
-unemployment reached 25% in some areas
those who still had a job faced wage cuts of as much as 40%

Question 7

Push factors for farmers to travel west

Answer 7

-1837 due to economic collapse wheat prices collapsed, leaving farmers facing ruin
-not helped by overcrowding in this fertile farming region, particular along the Mississippi river

Question 8

what the concept of Manifest Destiny?

Answer 8

that it was God’s will that white Americans should settle over all of America

Question 9

why did the US government need to populate their territory in the West?

Answer 9

to defend it from foreign powers

Question 10

Between 1836-46 what was the total number of migrants using the Trail

Answer 10

5000

Question 11

from 1849 why were tens of thousands using the trail?

Answer 11

in hope of finding gold in the West

Question 12

Why did 20,000 Chinese migrate to California in 1852

Answer 12

due to a famine in china

Question 13

Who took over the Gold rush through the 1850s

Answer 13

Professional miners with the equipment and expertise to mine underground (where most of the gold was)

Question 14

what were consequences of the gold rush

Answer 14

-problems of lawlessness in mining camps
-migration to California- 300,000 people by 1855, California becomes a state
-farming boom in California
-Manifest destiny (destiny coming true)
-genocide of Californian Indians by migrants
-tension with Plains Indians due to huge increase in migration along the Oregon trail
-boost in economy- helps funds railroads
-racial tension due to immigration

Question 15

How long was the Oregon trail?

Answer 15

3200km

Question 16

why did migrants need to complete their journey before the winter?

Answer 16

they will get stuck in the mountains

Question 17

what were the dangers of crossing the Great Plains?

Answer 17

-sandstorms, quicksand, extreme heat, storms, disease, stampeding buffalo, hostile Indians and a lack of supplies
-mountains were steep, there was little to hunt and the weather could be bad

Question 18

Why did migrants begin the Trail in April?

Answer 18

so there would be enough grass for their animals

Question 19

what mountains were crossed in the Oregon trail?

Answer 19

the Rockies and either the blue mountains or the sierra Nevada

Question 20

Problems of farming on the plain (7)

Answer 20

-Grasshopper plagues and other insect pests
-weather : thunderstorms and violent winds
-Lack of trees: very little timber for fencing or building
-thick sod :the soil was tangles mass of grass roots
-prairie fires : dry grass burned easily
-Lack of water: very little surface water and very low rainfall
-Climate : very hot, dry summers and very cold winters

Question 21

How did people deal with the lack of timber?

Answer 21

Settlers lived in caves and sod homes made from earth

Question 22

Pros and cons of sod houses ?

Answer 22

-the thick walls and roof were good insulation in the winter
-the earth walls and roof were fireproof giving protection from prairie fires
-However, sod houses were impossible to keep clean and were full of insects

Question 23

How did the conditions for farming on the Plains different from the conditions in the east?

Answer 23

-crops that did well in the East shrivelled up and died from lack of water, or were eaten by insect infestations, such as grass hopper swarms
-Ploughs that worked in the East broke when farmers tried to use them to plough through the thick sod of the Plains
-At first, settlers had to dig up the sod with spades, which was backbreaking work
-California’s mild climate and fertile soils were excellent for growing spring wheat

Question 24

why was the Oregon trail important?

Answer 24

it was the only practical way for migrants to get across mountains with wagons

-vital to the settlement of the west as it allowed for settlement to increase = provided the capability for mass migration across America
-People felt more confident about travelling and migrating West as the government had produced these maps this in turn encouraged greater levels of migration.
-a powerful “pull” factor

Question 25

How did the government help migrants get to Oregon?

Answer 25

In 1841 - the US government provided $30,000 for an expedition to map the Oregon Trail and publish reports that would help migrants to get to Oregon.

the reports became the guidebook the migrants used on the Trail: another important “pull” factor to convince people that the risks of moving to Oregon were manageable

Question 26

How many people left the East to travel to California in April 1849?

Answer 26

100,000

Question 27

Prospectors needed equipment, food, drink and entertainment. What was the result of this?

Answer 27

more people were attracted to the West to become shopkeepers, bartenders and traders

Question 28

How much was the sea-route to Oregon?

Answer 28

could cost at least $300 at a time when a farm labourer could expect to earn $11 a month

Question 29

How long was the sea route to Oregon?

Answer 29

as long as a year to make the trip round South America and up the west coast of the USA

Question 30

What was the result for California’s excellent farmland for growing crops?

Answer 30

By the 1850s, farmers in California were producing so much wheat that California began exporting grain to Europe and was soon exporting food all over the world

there was a lot of money to be made, and farming became a big business.

Question 31

What and when was the Great Emigration?

Answer 31

In 1843 over 900 pioneers made the dangerous journey West, this was lead by Marcus Witman

Question 32

How many people have used to Oregon trail by 1849?

Answer 32

400,000