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1、WestwardMigrationThestoryofthewestwardmovementofpopulationintheUnitedStatesis,inthemain,thestoryoftheexpansionofAmericanagriculture-ofthedevelopmentofnewareasfortheraisingoflivestockandthecultivationofwheat,corn,tobacco,andcotton.After1815improvedtransportationenabledmoreandmorewesternfarmerstoes
2、capeaself-sufficientwayoflifeandenteranationalmarketeconomy.Duringperiodswhencommoditypriceswerehigh,therateofwestwardmigrationincreasedspectacularly.“OldAmericaseemedtobebreakingupandmovingwestward,“observedanEnglishvisitorin1817,duringthefirstgreatwaveofmigration.EmigrationtotheWestreachedapeak
3、inthe1830’s.Whereasin1810onlyaseventhofAmericanpeoplelivedwestoftheAppalachianMountains,by1840morethanathirdlivedthere.Whywerethesehundredsofthousandsofsettlers-mostofthemfarmers,someofthemartisans-drawnawayfromtheclearedfieldsandestablishedcitiesandvillagesoftheEast?CertaincharacteristicsofAmeri
4、cansocietyhelptoexplainthisremarkablemigration.TheEuropeanancestorsofsomeAmericanshadforcenturieslivedrootedtothesamevillageorpieceoflanduntilsomereligious,political,oreconomiccrisisuprootedthemanddrovethemacrosstheAtlantic.Manyofthosewhoexperiencedthissharpbreakthereafterlackedthetiesthathadboun
5、dthemandtheirancestorstoasingleplace.Moreover,Europeansocietywasrelativelystratified;occupationandsocialstatuswereinherited.InAmericansociety,however,theclassstructurewaslessrigid;somepeoplechangedoccupationseasilyandbelieveditwastheirdutytoimprovetheirsocialandeconomicposition.Asaresult,manyAmer
6、icanswereaninveteratelyrestless,rootless,andambitiouspeople.Therefore,thesesocialtraitshelpedtoproducethenomadicanddaringsettlerswhokeptpushingwestwardbeyondthefringesofsettlement.Inaddition,therewereotherimmigrantswhomigratedwestinsearchofnewhomes,materialsuccess,andbetterlives.TheWesthadplentyo
7、fattractions:thealluvialriverbottoms,thefecundsoilsoftherollingforestlands,theblackloamsoftheprairiesweretemptingtoNewEnglandfarmersworkingtheirrocky,sterilelandandtosoutheasternfarmersplaguedwithsoildepletionanderosio
