 Homestead Act of 1862
o Government will give people 160 acres of
land to people who agree to improve that
land for 5 years.
o WHY- to encourage people to move west
 The West provides new job opportunities
o Miners, Cowboys, Ranchers
o Explore new territory
o Buffalo Bill
 “Wild West Shows”
L
(LAND)
A
(Adventure)
 Transcontinental Railroad
o New railroad that completes a set of tracks that
extends from the East coast to the West coast.
o Built by two companies
 Union Pacific – Irish Workers
 Central Pacific – Chinese Workers
o Workers faced racial discrimination
o Meet at Promontory Point, Utah

Gold Rush
o Gold was found in the west causing people to
head west
o Where and when Gold was found and




California – 1849
Colorado – 1858-1860
Dakota Territory – 1874
Alaska – 1896
R
(Railroads)
G
(Gold)

People (Especially African Americans) wanted to
leave the south.
o Reasons people wanted to leave the south
 Discrimination
 Segregation
 “Jim Crow” Laws
E
(Escape from
Discrimination)