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The American West was viewed as a land of opportunity and success for many people of different racial and financial backgrounds during the time between 1865 to 1890. However, the extent of success from the opportunity varied on multiple factors. For the homesteader, opportunity was based upon good weather conditions and hard work but
mostly only large scale corporations succeeded. Mining provided little for the average miner; large mining industries profited instead.. At some point West was the land of opportunity and at the same time it was not a land of opportunity for Native American Indians and Minorities. Ethnocentrism was the root of the problem for Native Americans and contributed their downfall
and their loss of land and livelihood. Indians were pushed off their native lands onto reservations. Immigrants struggled to reach equal work standards and pay as whites. You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
Popular EssaysWas the West a land of opportunity?The West was always the land of opportunity—where Europeans and, later, Americans went for a new beginning. Native Americans were pushed west as a result of the influx of Europeans, as well as their pre-existing inter-tribal competition for land. After the Civil War, many freedmen headed west.
Why was America called a land of opportunity essay?America came to be seen as a land where social justice was possible—where the poor and oppressed would find opportunity and freedom, where the ambitious and adventurous could make their fortunes.
Why did people choose to settle in the West in the late 1800s?Gold rush and mining opportunities (silver in Nevada) The opportunity to work in the cattle industry; to be a “cowboy” Faster travel to the West by railroad; availability of supplies due to the railroad. The opportunity to own land cheaply under the Homestead Act.
What major changes affected the American West most during the Gilded Age?Land, mining, and improved transportation by rail brought settlers to the American West during the Gilded Age.
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