Final answer:
The government encouraged westward development through programs such as the Homestead Act, Pacific Railway Act, and construction of dams and aquifers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The government encouraged westward development with several programs.
One of the significant programs was the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided 160 acres of free land to households willing to move west and improve the land by cultivating fields and building homes.
Another program was the Pacific Railway Act, which chartered two companies (the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific) and provided generous funds to connect the country by rail.
Additionally, the government constructed dams and aquifers to create the possibility of irrigation and open arid land for farming.