1. Moving West Fur traders, land speculators, & people searching for gold traveled west 1830s Missionaries on the Oregon Trail reported the beauty of the land Resulted in “Oregon Fever” of the 1840s

2. Oregon Country Democrats in 1844 election called for U.S. ownership of all of Oregon Oregon Treaty (1846) extended the existing U.S. – Canada boundary at the 49 th parallel west to the Pacific

3. Trails Westward

4. Impact of the Gold Rush 1848-1849 Rapid population increase in CA; much diversity San Francisco grew into a major port city Increased incentive for building a transcontinental railroad Indian populations along the trails were devastated Extreme damage to the environment from mining