The majority of the westward-bound settlers were white Americans seeking new opportunities and land to settle on. They left behind their homes in the east, hoping to start fresh in the west where they could build a better life for themselves and their families. Many of them were farmers, looking for fertile land to cultivate crops and raise livestock. Others were merchants or tradespeople, eager to establish new businesses in the growing western towns. Some were even fugitives from justice, fleeing eastward to escape punishment for crimes they had committed. Regardless of their backgrounds, all these settlers shared a common goal: to stake their claim in the vast expanse of the American West and make it their own.