Once the Industrial Revolution started after the Civil War, the migration of American's, who didn't want to work in a factory, towards the West began. The West was an unknown land to most Americans and often generated myths and legends about it due to it's mysteriousness. The West was a land of new opportunity for the American psyche and gave many people a chance to start over. Although the great migration caused enormous amounts of horrors, especially regarding the Indian Wars, the newly developed American West was very beneficial to America and should be looked at as a progress. Some viewed the West as America's "Final Frontier" and that if America needed to invade the land in order to reach it's full potential as a country. The new land acquired allowed America to connect the country with railroads which created a much needed cohesiveness in the nation. The expansion to the American West expanded and connected our country physically as well as united the people within it.
This is an Indian Camp Ground; these campgrounds stretched on for miles. Indian families lived in tipis and often owned horses. It's amazing how far the plains stretched and almost all of it was unused land. (Denver Post)
This is an image of a train going through the West. The influx in railroads were extremely important to the development of America and the American West. (Denver Post)
This is another railroad, however, this railroad is in more of an urban area of the West. (Denver Post)
This is an image of Americans from the East overlooking an Indian campground. Again the extent to which the land stretches is spectacular. (Denver Post)
This is a gold Mine in Montana. Mining was one of the many jobs that the American West had to offer and gold was in high demand at that time. (Denver Post)