The nineteenth century in the history of the United States is, first of all, the century of the frontier. The frontier was called the border of the settlement of Americans, as well as the areas adjacent to this border that had not yet been settled by a white man. The Frontier was a kind of safety valve for American society. Everyone dissatisfied with their situation went to the West, where there was a lot of no man’s land and little control from the authorities. This reduced social tension in the East and prevented the occurrence of riots and uprisings.
One of the main reasons for American settlement of the West was the desire of many farmers to get land for practically nothing in the wild areas of America. Indeed, the gaze of the colonists gradually began to turn to the West, deep into North America — to uninhabited and dangerous, but promising lands occupied by the natives. Fur trappers and traders went there as the population of America began to grow in search of profitable business. Apart from the profits pioneers hoped to get from settlements in the West, they were guided by the ideas of freedom that many of them cherished. Indeed, by colonizing uninhabited lands pioneers could adopt their laws and live by them regardless of restrictions adopted in the Eastern part of America.
Thirdly, people wanted to test their strength and moral qualities when they moved to uninhabited lands. Surrounded by wild nature and belligerent Indians, pioneers could rely only on themselves in their fight for survival. This fight could either make them or break them and many people settled in the West to prove to themselves and others their strength of character. In 1848, gold was found in California; and people began to go to the West, hoping to enrich themselves. The gold rush began, which largely impacted the settlement of the Wild West.
Finally, many people went to the West to trade with Indians as large profits could be made by buying furs from them for practically nothing. The development of new trade routes largely impacted the settlement of Americans in the West during the late 19th century (Gudde, pp. 47-80).
Works Cited
Gudde, Erwin G. Bigler’s Chronicle of the West: The Conquest of California, Discovery of Gold, and Mormon Settlement as Reflected in Henry William Bigler’s Diaries. University of California Press, 2022. Web.