People came for a variety of reasons, including economy, adventure, health, and philosophical notions such as Manifest Destiny. During the early 1830s affluence, Americans gambled heavily on the land, resulting in the Panic of 1837 and the following downturn.
The Sherman Act also outlawed contracts, conspiracies, and other business practices that restrained trade and created monopolies within industries. For example, the Sherman Act says that competing individuals or businesses can't fix prices, divide markets, or attempt to rig bids
