Question

When Americans moved west to settle our country, they did this for many reasons. Identify one example of a push factor and one example of a pull factor that may have encouraged Americans to make this journey. Write your answer in at least two to three sentences.

Answer 1

Americans were “pushed” west for many reasons. Many Americans felt like they were missing job opportunities in eastern states. Others felt that they were treated unfairly, and many believed that there wasn’t enough land to meet their needs. They were also “pulled” to the west by factors like new land, plentiful resources, and a desire for adventure.

Answer 2

One push factor was the belief that Manifest Destiny was for Americans to settle from sea to sea. One pull factor was all the ads in the newspapers about working and getting rich from mining gold.