Let's break this down into two significant areas because this is such a vast question. Socially and culturally, this westward migration sparked the "frontiersman" attitude and rejuvenated manifest destiny. Towns and settlements were built, and with them, new religious and cultural centers developed in the west. These new towns developed their own social and cultural characteristics as like-minded people settled together; however, the reverse is true as well. People from a variety of cultures and backgrounds traveled and struggled together on the journey to the west. A lot of these towns became cultural and social melting pots.Economically, the United States grew through rapid agricultural developments in the west. The transcontinental railroad allowed the country to tap into a vast area that was rich with resources. Precious metal mining, such as gold, boomed during this time period and provided enormous economic growth for the nation. Moreover, the Homestead Act provided an incentive for farming in the west through land acreage. Through all of this, the United States saw major economic growth, as the manufacturing centers in the Northeast were now able to connect with the developing farms and mines of the Midwest.
To add to this new connection, the country was experiencing a rush of immigration after the Civil War. These new types of people brought more cultures, labor, and innovations to the country. These technological developments of the late 1800s and early 1900s were furthered by higher education propping up in these new, thriving towns. Overall, these areas were some of the key improvements for the country during the westward migration after the Civil War.
Westward expansion affected the United States in many important ways. Let us look at some of the most important of these effects.
Westward expansion/migration helped to industrialize the US. A major part of this expansion was the creation of transcontinental railroads. These railroads helped industrialize America by creating more demand for steel to make rails and rolling stock. Expansion also helped cause industrialization by opening up new sources of raw materials that the country could use.
Westward expansion helped enrich America. This is partly because it helped cause industrialization. It is also because it opened up vast new areas of land that became America’s “breadbasket.”
Westward expansion brought tremendous harm to Native Americans. As white settlers expanded to the west, they pushed Native Americans off their lands. The Indians were pushed onto reservations on very marginal lands. Their way of life was completely destroyed. By pushing them onto reservations, the US government helped bring about problems for the Native Americans that continue to be felt today.
Westward expansion helped to create America’s self-image. Americans see their country as a country of rugged individuals who can face life without any help from the government or, usually, from anyone else. This is at least partly because of the way we view the pioneers who came west and the cowboys who tended cattle in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and other such places. We see them as heroes of individualism and we think that they typify what our country is all about.
Westward expansion helped to bring about the populist movement towards the end of the 19th century. Many of the people who migrated west were small farmers. They soon came to feel that large companies, particularly banks and railroads, were taking away their ability to make a living. This led to the creation of the populist movement among farmers in the South and the West.
In all of these ways and more, westward migration influenced the United States.
https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion
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