Westward Expansion and Migration Factors

The video explores the reasons behind the westward movement in America, focusing on push and pull factors. It discusses how Americans, former slaves, and European immigrants moved west for land, opportunity, and a new beginning. The Homestead Act and the discovery of gold and silver were significant motivators. Technological advances like the steel plow and windmills facilitated this migration.

What is a push factor in the context of migration?

• A reason to leave a place

• A reason to move to a new place

• A reason to stay in a place

• A reason to visit a place temporarily

Why did many Americans move west from crowded cities?

• To escape taxes

• To find better weather

• To own land

• To join the military

What were people who went west to farm called?

• Exodusters

• Sodbusters

• Ranchers

• Miners

What challenges did former slaves face in the South?

• Jim Crow laws and discrimination

• Poor weather conditions

• Lack of education

• High taxes

What term was used for former slaves who moved west?

• Pioneers

• Exodusters

• Settlers

• Sodbusters

Why did many Europeans immigrate to the United States in search of land?

• To join the American military

• To find better weather

• To escape war

• To own land and use their farming skills

What opportunities did European immigrants find in the West?

• Becoming teachers

• Becoming miners, ranchers, or farmers

• Working in factories

• Joining the government

What was the Homestead Act?

• A guideline for city planning

• A tax on landowners

• A policy to provide free land for settlement

• A law to build schools

Which technology helped bring water up in the West?

• Water wheels

• Electric pumps

• Windmills

• Steam engines

What was one reason people moved west for adventure?

• To escape the law

• To experience the wild and untamed nature

• To find better schools

• To join a circus