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Most likely the biggest factor was population density: a lot less people on a lot more land than back east, which was getting crowded. Add to that, FREE land for the taking, just have enough ammo to both hunt, and fend off both Native Americans and crooks. There was plentiful game available for meat, and people could easily find cultivatable land to grow vegetables. A little later, gold was discovered in California, that drew hordes of speculators west, many set up businesses in San Fransisco, Sacramento, Reno, and smaller towns for all the miners. Levi Strauss was one, using tent fabric to make rugged, long-lasting denim jeans for the miners. Many also went west just to explore - the Lewis and Clark Expedition, funded by the President to survey the Louisiana Purchase, popularized the west by glorifying it's bounty. Since the expedition was befriended by Indians wherever they went, they also had a different view of Native Americans than did later ranchers and the U.S. military, who usually waived treaties in lieu of new riches; it was gold in the Black Hills that led to the Sioux wars and the Wounded Knee story. The U.S. has a dark history of genocide against the natives; those that didn't die from smallpox, scarlet fever, and other diseases of Europe to which they had no immunities, later had to flee the encroaching white settlers, who all had guns and the military along with them. There's a famous Geronimo quote, "why did the one great God make so many white men, and why did he give them all guns?". Geronimo was another one we tricked, promising him freedom if he surrendered, and the government threw him in prison until he died. On top of all that, the western scenery is absolutely awe-inspiring, and many artists were also drawn to the west, and the paintings of Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran showed many easterners in cities the glorious scenery, which added to the western migration. Bierstadt's museum shows featured sound effects of thunderstorms and animal sounds, whatever was in the painting (many of which were wall-sized), and people lined up around the block to pay a quarter for entry to view them, so they were the "Star Wars" movies of their time!

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Q: What were the factors that drew settlers west during the first half of the 19th century?
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