The colonization of the western section of North America took place during the Old West, also known as the Wild West or the American Frontier, between the early nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. Given its name, the regions west of the Mississippi River were known as the “Wild West” because of their lawlessness. For its cowboys, pioneers, gamblers, gunslingers, outlaws, shootouts, and gangs, it is renowned.
Couttenier and his coworkers discovered that the Wild West had clearly more violent areas than the Eastern states, especially in areas where gold and other minerals were found. Assaults on the body and murder, for instance, were commonplace. Despite these significant human sacrifices, the vast majority of white Americans considered the opening of the West as a significant opportunity. For them, gaining access to western territory represented the opportunity for prosperity and freedom for anyone prepared to face the challenges of the frontier.
The idea of Manifest Destiny as a justification for westward migration, cheap land, the marketing of the west as a region of fruitfulness and opportunity, and mining developments in gold and silver were five factors that contributed to the westward expansion. The further expansion of railroads by the 1850s was another factor. Land was a major factor in people’s westward migration. There was a lot of property with excellent farming soil that could be purchased for a low cost. Aside from that, living on the East Coast was incredibly congested. United States population was increasing quite quickly.
Moving West meant being closer to the Gold Rush and mining opportunities (silver in Nevada), the chance to work in the cattle industry and become a “cowboy,” speedier access to the West via the railroad, and the availability of supplies thanks to the railroad. The Homestead Act also offers the chance to purchase land at a low cost. 160 acres of land may be claimed for free by settlers according to the Homestead Act, which was enacted in 1862. The first transcontinental railroad’s completion in 1869, which accelerated western immigration and aided in economic growth, was another significant element.
There are still many towns that have a Wild West vibe, even though it isn’t exactly what it was in the 1800s. A few have been kept alive, while others have been duplicated. You might come across a fair number of ghost towns if you take a road trip across states like Texas, California, Colorado, or Kansas. However, there are many towns and cities from the Old West that are still inhabited and even flourishing. Similar motives were frequently used to create old West communities. A lot of them, including notorious locations like Deadwood, Tombstone, and Virginia City, got their origins as mining communities.