Migration

Reasons for braving the frontier:

Economics

*when land was first settled in places like New England a family might have 200 acres but the next generation divides it and the next ... so the grandson may only have 25 acres of lousy land that he can't make a living on.

*land was more expensive for new immigrants on the Eastern seaboard

Occupations

*On the frontier you carved out a farm but you also brought in money with a second income:

*The frontier had goods to sell. You could mine salt, timber, pelts.

*Certain kinds of skills were needed like wagon makers, horse dealers, blacksmiths, carpenters, tanners

Religious groups

*like minded family & friends

*persecution

*belief that Armageddon type future was ahead in the place they were in

*religious concerns such as leaving southern states because of slavery

Adventure & Opportunity

*with the growth of advertising, the frontier was promoted endlessly in

local newspapers as a promised land like this