Westward Expansion

Extent of Settlement in the United States

Westward migration began before the Civil War. Migration began slowly as people traveled westward looking for a better life. The maps above show the extent of settlement in pink. The map on the left represents 1835-1850, while the map on the right represents 1850-1890. By comparing the two maps, you can see that settlement dramatically increased following the Civil War. What could have caused such a change in migration?

Based on your analysis of the maps, compose a list in your journal of possible factors that could have increased westward migration. If you need assistance on writing a journal entry, please visit the Developmental Module for more information.

Once you have completed your journal entry, please save it with a file name of mod6_migration and submit it to the dropbox.