Why did White settlers want to expand westward?

Question

To gain more religious freedom
To get away from restrictive laws
To learn about Indigenous groups who already lived there
To find gold and land for growing more crops

Answer 1

The main reasons that white settlers wanted to expand westward were to find more land for farming and to pursue economic opportunities. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered free land to settlers who were willing to improve it, which encouraged migration to the west. Some settlers also sought to escape economic hardships or crowded conditions in the east. Additionally, the discovery of gold and other valuable resources in the west provided an incentive for expansion. While some settlers may have sought religious freedom or wished to escape restrictive laws, these reasons were not as common as economic motivations. The expansion westward had devastating consequences for Indigenous groups who already lived there, as their land was taken and their cultures were destroyed.