Kara Latimer
History 125
Week 2 Assignment
Michele Riley

1. The Western settlement had inevitable conflicts for many reasons like the expansion of railroads and farmers, and natural resources. The expansion of the railroads was a huge part in settling in the west. People could get from one side of the countries territory to the other in much less time. This opportunity meant more traveling for so many people. Farmers were also quick to move out west and expand their lands. People could go and buy much more land because there was plenty of it. Crops that had been grown on the new western farms could be sent on trains to be sold through the Appalachian Mountains. The natural resources that had been in need of for the U.S were profitable land, opportunity of commerce, and a barrier against other countries. The land would be divided into smaller territories and then sold to farmers. Many farmers took advantage of this opportunity to expand their land and their crops. Selling the land made money for the government and the crops helped the country stay profitable. An area that did end up becoming a major part of our country was the Louisiana Purchase. The territories became great farming land. The Louisiana territory opened up to the ocean which made for an easier way to trade and acted as a defense for the U.S. People soon learned they could send products by boat and travel by boat for a cheaper price. The President Thomas Jefferson sent out expeditions to find more exploitable resources. With every successful expedition they found more land with plenty of useful resources and room for a high population. I do not think anyone actually thought about the land belonging to anyone because there was nothing on the land to indicate civilization. Of course the Indians were not civilized; they lived off of the land and its bounty just like the animals. As the settlers