Preview

American West Risks

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
330 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
American West Risks
Were the Risks of the American West Worth it?

I believe that the risks the American West posed to those who were brave enough to venture out to the American West were worth it. I also believe that I would have moved to the West despite the dangers and corruption happening at the time for two reasons. Number one and most important reason were the economic opportunities. Many immigrants chose the West because of the hope for economic prosperity. Chinese immigrants for example, having heard of the California Gold rush hoped that they would be able to accumulate wealth and return to China. But soon they discovered their labor was a source of steady income and many stayed working as miners and laborers for the railroad corporations. At the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Western Crossroads

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A.1.a) John M. Chivington- U.S. Army colonel arrived at the camp with 700 Colorado volunteers…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why did the Native Americans live in the West? During the 1800’s, the American Government treated the Native Americans unfairly. Whenever the white men wanted the Natives land, they would just push them farther into the West. If the Indians protested against the government or the white men, they were brutally punished, therefore, they had no choice but to live on the land west of the Mississippi river.…

    • 132 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    It wasn't destiny to move west But it was necessary for the success of the United States. At the beginning of the 19 century the United States was plagued with overpopulation, slow transportation and the slave problem, Some people might say that it wasn't necessary to move west and that the United States had no right to do what they did by taking the opportunity that they saw in the land. The united states was more genious than most paying for most of the land they had gotten by buying the louisiana purchase and the land taken in the American Mexican war.…

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The early national era was a time of massive immigration and expansion for America. After the 1830’s, there was an onslaught of immigrants from all over the world. The Irish came to America because of the Great Potato Famine that was sweeping through Ireland. The California Gold Rush (1849) was another pull factor for immigrants; the search for gold attracted many Chinese immigrants. Nativist groups like the Know-Nothing Party opposed the influx of foreigners but their efforts did not slow immigration down. Within the United States, Manifest Destiny, was taking root and westward expansion became an option with the addition of many new territories. Going to the west was also necessary for some groups to live in their own societies. About 70,000 Mormons moved west to Utah to escape religious persecution. But for Native Americans, going to Oklahoma was not an option; it was mandatory. They were forced to march over 1,000 miles away to a new territory on the Trail of Tears because of the Indian Removal Act, which…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Many Americans consider the era of the Old West as one of the most fascinating chapters in our history. It's an era that is uniquely American, and people around the world identify America with the era of the Old West. There is much legend surrounding American History of the Wild West when it comes to American outlaws lawmen and violence. But what is the real history about violence in the west? In this paper I will talk about outlaws and lawmen as well as the portrayal of violence of the west and try to identify the myths and legends versus fact from which the American mind as drawn up.…

    • 2195 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Success in the United States is largely defined by material wealth. Americans choose paths that will help their families to lead comfortable, happy lives. Sometimes this means following crazy opportunities to a new part of the country, which can be both exciting and risky at the same time. This was seen during the California Gold Rush of the 1840’s. The Gold Rush was a significant event in our nation’s history for many reasons, including its impact on Westward Expansion and its ability to establish America as the land of opportunity. Americans migrated west in pursuit of gold, prosperity, and the American Dream.…

    • 2108 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Way of Life in the West

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Many historians tell of push/pull factors relating to the expansion of the west. Settlers that pushed west went for a variety of reasons, religion, politics, abolition, and to escape the ever growing crowding of the eastern United States. Some did not want new industry, and were uncomfortable with developing cities. The pioneers faced factors that would also pull them west. Sparse crop yield and the promise of gold, furs, and the ability to buy cheap land made the choice to move on easier. Correspondence from other friends and family members telling them of a better life pulled many apart. A lot of people died, but many settlers forged ahead to live a better existence on the new frontier.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The gold rush was also a big reason Americans favored expansion to the west. Once gold was discovered in California people rushed there to become rich. Gold that was found in rivers before became dried out and had no gold left. This led to mining, which required skill and heavy duty equipment. Whites expected to strike gold their first time mining. But of course, they didn't know how to find gold itself they knew much less about mining. So foreigners actually stayed and taught whites how to mine properly.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When people think about the Old West they usually think about Cowboys, murderers, and violence. But how violent was the Old West really? I think the people are often just exaggerating. One reason for that are probably all the western movies that represent it often in a wrong way. They show cowboys as men whose only job is to have gun fights with bad guys. Of course this isn’t true.…

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Journey to the West

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In The Journey to the West, Pilgrim and the woodcutter seem to be similar where they both feel that they have a purpose in life. However, their situations are different from one another. For instance, Pilgrim tries to better himself by seeking the immortals, as well as, gaining eternal youth. He is full of passion, desire, and excitement, which has lead him to have no worrisome thoughts. He has nothing holding him back from the tasks that he wishes to accomplish. Unlike the Pilgrim, the woodcutter continuously is concerned about his mother and how he is going to make enough money each day to take care of her. The immortals even taught the woodcutter a poem that would help him to calm down because of his worrisome feelings. Pilgrim is someone that follows his curiosity to find newer and bigger things, while the woodcutter is merely a slave to his obligations of making a decent living. Due to his obligations, the woodcutter does not have any dreams for his future, and even if he did, he would never dare follow them.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Gilded Age

    • 9527 Words
    • 39 Pages

    The West: Settlement of the Last Frontier. Following the War, many Americans now turned to settling the West, as the land between the Mississippi and the pacific had been referred to as the “Great American Desert.” Why? Gold in California, fishing and farming in Oregon, etc. Although there was light yearly rainfall west of the 100th meridian, there were 15 million buffalo, which provided food, clothing, shelter, and tools to the natives who lived there. By 1900 these buffalo herds were all but wiped out and the frontier was virtually gone. Homesteaders had fenced in the land, the railroad had created cities and towns, and states had been carved out. (Only AZ, OK, and NM remained as territories by 1900.) The rush for minerals in the west had caused this destruction and the natives who stood in the way of the onslaught paid the price in culture and lives. Settlement of the frontier was achieved by 3 groups: miners, cattleman and cowboys, and farmers.…

    • 9527 Words
    • 39 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Old West

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Between the 1860's and 1890's, the west of the United States got its name "the Old West" and a reputation of being violent. Now there are many movies, books, television shows, and many other things based on the Old West having: cowboys, gunfights, rough towns, and Indian attacks. Some people may believe that the Old West really was like this, but I think the west wasn't any more violent than other areas of the United States at this time. Less people lived in the west at this time so one murder may be a more significant difference compared to the other regions with lager populations. Also, there were laws set up to try and keep everything under controlled in these towns. Finally, it may of seemed like there were more deaths, but there were wars going on because it's a new area that people are trying to get settled in.…

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Traveling on the Oregon Trail has been a journey that I do not think anyone can really prepare for. It is hard having to leave places constantly and leave our loved ones behind knowing we may never see them again. It is a hard journey on everyone, it is also hard being a women. We have to make sure that the children are well taken care of throughout this whole trip. Making sure the children are safe is a big job to do. Besides making sure our little ones remain safe, we women have to make sure our men stay strong so they may make sure we are safe.…

    • 362 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Years have passed since the Civil War, and this town has deteriorated. A life of a farmer out west can do some justice since struggling to make ends meet are all that seems to be happening. As more neighbors leave and businesses shut down, the temptation of leaving also is growing stronger. Raising a family and living a long life is most important to this life that I have. For me, moving out west to be a farmer is the likely way to go.…

    • 223 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Western Frontier

    • 841 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The frontier was land that had been untouched in the Western United States by white mans laws and way of life. As time passed, and the population grew on the frontier, and changes took place. Basic ways of life changed. Religious beliefs, laws, and regulations were challenged and adapted to the new settings. Each of these novels, The Pioneer, A New Way Home-Who'll Follow, & Hope Leslie, take a different look at these changes that were taking place.…

    • 841 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays