Final answer:
Many Americans were drawn to the West primarily by the lure of land, influenced by the ideology of Manifest Destiny and the economic opportunities it presented, such as farming and the potential to discover gold.
Step-by-step explanation:
The appeal of the West was that many Americans wanted land. The desire for western lands was an extension of the colonial expectation that, after the Peace of Paris, areas beyond the Appalachian and Allegheny Mountains would be open for settlement. This intrinsic yearning for land was strongly tied to the belief in Manifest Destiny, which extolled the divine right of Americans to spread across the continent and imbue it with their values.
Furthermore, the proliferating tales of gold rushes and economic opportunities acted as a siren call to those seeking prosperity, while the Homestead Act and the potential to own and farm substantial plots of land added to the appeal. While gold drew many, including Chinese immigrants as detailed in the question referencing the majority reason for their immigration, the broadest motive for American migration westward was the quest for land to settle and cultivate.