Manifest destiny and federal expansion
Talk about the three G's; Gold, Glory, and God.
Also, at the time, land was equal to power. The more land you had, the richer you were. This is a social and political reason, as well as economic.
Hope this helps you. Ask any questions if you need to!
I<span>t was culturally unique from surrounding regions.</span>
Answer:
Probably scoff at it briefly then go back to trying to survive in the absolute terrible working conditions, probably get my arms torn off by the old extremely dangerous machinery.
(obviously this is my personal answer, I'm not going to look it up)
