Final answer:
The search for economic opportunities and the allure of land ownership were two major 'pull' factors that encouraged people to move West, with the Homestead Act of 1862 and the California Gold Rush being iconic examples.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two notable 'pull' factors that enticed people to head West include the search for economic opportunity and the lure of land ownership. The West was seen as a region of limitless potential, with the promise of prosperity in the form of jobs, higher wages, and the chance to start a new life. The Homestead Act of 1862, for example, was a significant pull factor, offering free land to settlers willing to farm it. Additionally, the discovery of gold in California in 1849 sparked the Gold Rush, a major event that exemplified the allure of quick riches as a powerful pull factor. Many were also drawn to the West by the concept of Manifest Destiny, which held that it was America's destiny to expand its territory across the continent. This belief was in part fueled by the explosive growth of the railroads, which not only facilitated the movement westward but also represented economic growth and the opening of new markets.