Why did early settlers go West and what problems did they face?
49ers -GOLD MINERS
The discovery of gold attracted people to the West
By then end of 1848, 10,000 people moved there.
First discovered in 1848 by James Marshall
Many other people followed in 1849-aka the 49 ers (100,000)
The negative impact of the gold rush
Racial violence/many racial riots
Local Indian tribes treated worse and nearly wiped out
Poor quality of life
Dirty living conditions
Cholera kills many people
No law and order/gambling/prostitution
People murdered(claim jumping)
Burglary
No police or courts to prevent crimes
VIGILANTES-lynched people who they thought did crime.
Operated above the law, dealt with crimes and disputes
THE MORMONS
They faced persecution for their religious beliefs
People felt threatened by Mormons
Moved West as there was a lot more land
They wanted PEACE
XION(Holy Space)
They were promised cheap land
They though moving West was a good opportunity of converting people to Mormonism
They wanted more room
