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Psychology Reading

People began moving west in the 1800s to escape overcrowding and lack of jobs and land in eastern cities. Farmers sought more land to farm, while others disliked cities or had different religious beliefs. Preparing for the long trip required saving money, selling possessions, and packing provisions like dried food, tools, medicine and clothes into covered wagons. The journey in the crowded wagons was uncomfortable but offered settlers a new life and opportunities in the West.

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22 views2 pages

Psychology Reading

People began moving west in the 1800s to escape overcrowding and lack of jobs and land in eastern cities. Farmers sought more land to farm, while others disliked cities or had different religious beliefs. Preparing for the long trip required saving money, selling possessions, and packing provisions like dried food, tools, medicine and clothes into covered wagons. The journey in the crowded wagons was uncomfortable but offered settlers a new life and opportunities in the West.

Uploaded by

Gastronomy and Business School
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Preparing to Move West

1) How did people live?

In the 1800’s, the east part of the United States was


crowded. New immigrants1 came to the United States
every day. Jobs and houses were difficult to find. There
was more land in the West, so people wanted to move
there. This land was free2 from the government.

2) Why did people move west?

Many people were farmers. They wanted to move west because they wanted more land to
grow food. Some people moved west because they didn’t like big cities. Other people
moved because they didn’t have jobs. Some people moved because their religion3 was
different. Other people wanted to find gold. Soon, thousands of people moved west
because they wanted a new life.

3) How did they prepare?

It took a lot of time to prepare for the trip west. People needed a lot of
money because they wanted to build new homes and farms. They
saved a lot of money and had to sell their homes and things before
they left. They also had to prepare things to take with them in their
covered wagons4.

4) What did they bring?

They needed a lot of food for the long trip, so they brought dry
meat and dry fruit in jars. They brought rifles5 and fishing
poles6 because they needed food on their trip. People took
tools because they needed to build their new houses and
farms. They took extra wheels for their wagons too. They
packed medicine7. Sometimes people were sick on the trip.
They took some furniture, dishes to cook with, and a few
clothes. Sometimes farmers brought their animals on the trip
too.

Created by Global Launch and Arizona State University. Copyright © 2020 Arizona Board of Regents. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized Duplication and Distribution Is Prohibited.
5) How did it feel inside the covered wagon?

The family and all of these things went inside one covered
wagon. Rich people had two wagons for their trip west. The
wagon was about 2 meters wide and 3.5 meters long. It was
very crowded, so it was not comfortable inside! If the wagon was
too heavy, it was difficult for the horses or cows to pull.

6) A new life

It was important to prepare for this big move west. It wasn’t


easy, but many people wanted a new life in the West.

immigrants1 (noun): a person who moves to a different country to stay


free2 (adjective): not costing any money
religion3 (noun): a belief in and worship of a god
covered wagon4 (noun): a large wagon or cart made of wood and pulled by horses
rifle5 (noun): a type of gun that is long and used to get animals for food
fishing pole6 (noun): a long pole with a long line and hook used to catch fish
medicine7 (noun): somethings used to make sick people feel better

Created by Global Launch and Arizona State University. Copyright © 2020 Arizona Board of Regents. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized Duplication and Distribution Is Prohibited.

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