The Consequences Of Westward Expansion

One of the key parts of westward expansion in the US was The Homestead Act that was implemented on January 1st, 1863. This act stated that men and women (who were not married) and 21 or older could apply for up to 160 acres of land in the west. The requirement was that they must live on the land for 5 years and “improve upon the land”. If they did this then the land would become theirs for $10. The Homestead Act favored white homesteaders and they were able to acquire over 285 million acres of land. This act was part of the process of conquest and Indians were stripped of their lands.
Another key part to westward expansion and industrialization was the Transcontinental Railroad. In 1862 the Pacific Railroad Bill was passed. This bill provided
The government paid an amount of money for each mile of track that was laid in the West as further incentive. Overall, 131 million acres of land was given to support the transcontinental railroad. This railroad allowed Americans to branch out further in the West and would connect from Nebraska to California. These incentives started a boom of railroad building between the two companies. Once the financing for this endeavor was secured the Union Pacific and Central Pacific began construction and this employed some 20,000 workers at one time. This began in 1865 and the two companies raced against each other to build their railroads and gain money in incentives and commerce. The Union Pacific used mainly Irish Laborers and the Central Pacific
To top it all off the government made an act called the Dawes act that enticed Native Americans to reform into americans with the goal of owning their own land the catch to it was that they had to give up all that they were as an indian nation and were given even less land than the reservations which opened up more land for companies and settlers wanting the