1. The West and a Growing Nation

2. westward exploration was on!
America saw a dramatic rise in its population. During the 1820’s, only about 500,000 people migrate to the US.
Between 1830 and 1860
More than 8 million people poured into the country
With a need for space,
westward exploration was on!

3. First Western Explorers The Mountain Men
Mapped the Northwest territory
Established trading posts
Established Indian relationships
Many of the trails established by the Mountain Men will be followed by people moving west … and they will lead them!

4. The Oregon Trail Established by Nathaniel J. Wyeth
- Owns the Hudson Bay Company
Builds a fort in Oregon to welcome western settlers
2000 mile journey
10 months to complete
The Great Migration
1000 people form a wagon train to move west
By thousands had moved across the trail

6. Other trails to the West….
The California Trail - trails to San Francisco and Sacramento
• The Mormon Trail
- From Illinois to Utah
- Established Salt Lake City

7. 1200 miles of desert & mountains Very little water along the route
Santa Fe Trail -
1200 miles of desert & mountains
Very little water along the route
Fear of Indian and Mexican attacks
Disappears after the railroad arrives in Santa Fe (1880)
Old Spanish Trail
•from Santa Fe to Los Angeles
Established Indian trading posts
along the way

8. The belief westward expansion was inevitable and divinely ordained
Manifest Destiny!
The belief westward expansion was inevitable and divinely ordained
Both Southern Dem and Northern Whigs believed they had a right to the resources and opportunities of the West

9. One question surfaced…..
Would new territories be admitted as slave or free states??
Texas was waiting to enter as a slave state, but there were no free states ready for admittance
Thank God for……GOLD!
January 24, 1848
Gold is discovered at Sutters Mill
in California
Over the next year,
300,000 men, women and children
flooded west to find riches!

10. San Francisco exploded!
• circa • circa 1851

11. The miner “Fourty-Niners”

12. with pressurized water
The Mining Process
Mining trough
Sluice mining
Panning for Gold
Placer mining -
destroyed the land
with pressurized water

13. Within one year, California was ready to be admitted as a state!
The Compromise of 1850
Texas admitted as slave state
California admitted as free state
Further states would be admitted through popular sovereignty ….
The people would decide
But this decision would soon show its weaknesses!