With Federal resources focused on waging the war farther east, both native
tribes and the Confederacy attempted to claim lands west of the Mississippi.
The Federal government's response included The Homestead Act and the construction of the transcontinental railroad. The goal was to encourage settlement, solidify Union control of the trans-Mississippi West, and further marginalize the physical and cultural presence of tribes native to the West.
Last updated: April 23, 2015
How did the government get involved in westward expansion?
The Federal government responded with measures (Homestead Act, transcontinental railroad) and military campaigns designed to encourage settlement, solidify Union control of the trans-Mississippi West, and further marginalize the physical and cultural presence of tribes native to the West.
How did the Federal government facilitate Americans westward migration in the mid nineteenth century?
Under this act, the government transferred over 270 million acres of public domain land to private citizens. The Pacific Railway Act was pivotal in helping settlers move west more quickly, as well as move their farm products, and later cattle and mining deposits, back east.