Why did newcomers come to settle the Prairie West?

Are you speaking in general terms of the Westward expansion? Or is Prairie West a specific place?

If you speaking of why settlers went west to seek their fortune, it was the promise of land, a homestead of their own, a chance to be free. Some people came from horrid conditions overseas and were seeking a home free from persecution.

The pioneer spirit that existed in the 19th century was born in part of a need to own land - that intangible urge that it is the soil of their blood and sweat and tears. Today is not so different from 1888 in that land remains one commodity that can't be created by mass production or any other method - it can only be divided and subdivided--with each parcel and plot becoming smaller, not larger. What awaited the emigrants from the east, they could only imagine. The stories that were related to them by explorers and missionaries, just back from the track west, were filled with images of vast , open landscapes, abundant game and pristine rivers and lakes. One can understand their longing for this type of life, for even then larger cities along the eastern seaboard were moving into the industrial age. The streets were crowded with itinerant workers and the mid-day skies were constantly blackened by coal smoke from numerous factories. This change in cities had occurred so rapidly--in many places within a few short years--our early settlers began to experience a nostalgia of sorts for the simpler life they had led before. But of course, nostalgia or not, it still came down to the excitement generated by two words, "Free Land"

Here are some sources for you to research:

Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion History Resources
Our America

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Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

Are you speaking in general terms of the Westward expansion? Or is Prairie West a specific place?

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I don't know. I'm concerned with between 1870-1898.

No, now that I think about it, It's a specific place.

In Canada, there is an area called "Prairie West" Here is a resource on that:

Prairie West

This is homework so what you need to do is post YOUR thoughts on why we went west and then maybe you will have earned our help-- Savage

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Originally Posted by TheSavage

this is homework so what you need to do is post YOUR thoughts on why we went west and then maybe you will have earned our help-- Savage

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What makes you so sure it's homework?

What's a homesyead patent?

Laughs - what else would this be? It is not everyday conversation, to be talking about the Prairie West region in Canada, of which Manitoba was included in.

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Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

Laughs - what else would this be? It is not everyday conversation, to be talking about the Prairie West region in Canada, of which Manitoba was included in.

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It's something to study...

Homestead Patent is a mode of acquiring alienable and disposable lands of the public domain for agricultural purposes conditioned upon actual cultivation and residence.

Here is a site that can explain it and you can see some of the applications:

Western Land Grants (1870-1930) - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada

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Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

Homestead Patent is a mode of acquiring alienable and disposable lands of the public domain for agricultural purposes conditioned upon actual cultivation and residence.

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What's alienable?

I am 50 years old and know every trick in the world that people will do to try and get someone else to do there work for them-- hell you did not even take the time to search homestead patent-- 30 seconds on wik and that would have been answered

Alienable is being able to be taken up to space by aliens.

What do you think it is? Look that up in the dictionary. Definition of alienable - WordReference.com Dictionary

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Originally Posted by TheSavage

I am 50 years old and know every trick in the world that people will do to try and get someone else to do there work for them-- hell you did not even take the time to search homestead patent-- 30 seconds on wik and that would have been answered

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Ok, that's just plain wrong. I wanted to study. Next, I can easily get help online on a different website with my work. Also, what makes you so sure wikipedia is actually accurate and it's a good source for figuring out what a homestead patent is?

Wikpedia is a very reliable source of information. VERY reliable. Also that little search engine called, "Google".

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Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

Alienable is being able to be taken up to space by aliens.

What do you think it is? Look that up in the dictionary. Definition of alienable - WordReference.com Dictionary

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Ok, there is NOTHING in www.dictionary.reference.com that says it's being able to taken up to space by aliens.

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Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

Wikpedia is a very reliable source of information. VERY reliable. Also that little search engine called, "Google".

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But someone could write something on Wikipedia or make some ridiculous changes. How do you know it's accurate?

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Originally Posted by hamworld05

Ok, there is NOTHING in www.dictionary.reference.com that says it's being able to taken up to space by aliens.

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Unless it was sarcasm...

I should apoligize for pulling your leg. But when you do not look things up for yourself... those things happen.


Alienable
A adjective
1 alienable

transferable to another owner