Factors That Contributed To The Westward Expansion Of The United States From 1860 To 1890

The Westward Expansion of the United States from 1860 to 1890 began with President Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of 828,800 square miles of land from France in 1803. The purchase, known as the Louisiana Purchase, provided an opportunity for the United States to expand its territories to cater for its growing population due to the influx of migrants from Europe and China. The Homestead Act of 1862, the California Gold Rush, the abolition of slavery, and the completion of the first railroad network in 1869 were key factors that contributed to the movement of people Westward (Carroll, 2008). Many factors contributed to the rapid expansion of the territories in the West, and the migration had immense impacts on the economic and social conditions

The Act gave individuals that wanted to move west of the Mississippi River 160-acres of land for free with the provision that the owner must build a home and engage in agricultural activities for at least five years. The allure of the freedom to engage in farming activities of their choosing attracted various kinds of people, such as poor farmers, urban residents without specific occupations, freed slaves from the South and new immigrants from Europe and the Pacific. The Great Plains also provided an opportunity for ranchers in areas that were covered by the Homestead Act. The area that spread across the foothills of the Rocky Mountains was used for cattle grazing by these ranchers. This group of settlers contributed to the agricultural development of the United States during this period. Although the Homestead Act provided land for the individuals that chose to move westwards, it did not give them the means to farm in a difficult terrain, such as the Great

Historical records show that migrants from Europe inhabited most of the cities. The migration was fueled by the construction of the railroad and the demands of industries for their labor-intensive production processes. During the period of 1860 to 1890, the population of the United States increased from approximately five million to seventy-six million. The population of major cities like New York and Philadelphia increased from approximately 500,000 to over a million. Chicago experienced the worst population explosion in the history of the West as its population rose from approximately 100,000 in 1860 to over 1,000,000 in 1890. The westward movement also resulted in an increase in the number of cities from nine in 1860 to twenty-five in 1890 (Barrett & Roediger, 2005). The rise in population led to an increase in the demand for public infrastructure. State governments in cities like Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia were ill-equipped to provide the necessary infrastructures to support its large population. These cities witnessed an increase in the number of poorly built houses in response to the increasing demand for housing by migrants who were mostly immigrant workers from Europe. The settler workers who had flocked into these cities in thousands during this period lived in homes with inadequate water supply, ventilation, and toilet facilities. The poor