Who were the settlers in the west?

Answer 1

Settlers from France, Germany, England, and other countries (including slaves brought from Africa) settled first in eastern coastal areas. As these filled, people looked westward across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia for fertile land for farming. However, the Appalachian Mountains cut through New York and Pennsylvania, which includes the Allegheny Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains. For a long time, through the 1700s, the settlers believed the land beyond the mountains was a small area---they had no clue the vast land that now is the United States, from eastern to western coasts.

As a young man, George Washington entertained himself by learning "surveying" at age 16 while living with his brother. His brother' father-in-law had settled in Virginia and owned "all of the land West of the Blue Ridge Mountains". The father-in-law took an interest in young George and later, hired him to go over the Blue Ridge Mountains to survey "all" of the land. George and another boy set out, but found Native American hunting camps and made friends with the Indians. George did some surveying and made some maps, but not as many as he wished.

Around the same time and preceding George's venture west, officials of the settlers in NY and PA kept making treaties with the Indians to secure Indian held land, including prime hunting grounds. Histories say the White Men tricked the Indians out of land. Eventually this caused the French and Indian War. George Washington was again asked to go to a destination to see if he could negotiate with both sides. But he failed and returned home feeling disgraced. But he studied from his brother's father-in-law's books and became more interested in military matters. When he was again called upon regarding military action, he was far more prepared. One main area involved in this conflict was the current State of Ohio.

By late 1700s early 1800s, The Connecticut Land Co. held 'ownership' of a large section of Ohio, but others also made claims. But settlers had already made their way using the Native American Indians foot trails along ridges in the mountains through Canada, New York, Pennsylvania, current West Virginia, etc. They moved into central, then western Pennsylvania within a decade. When land agents advertised Ohio lands, many were eager to strike out for new farming land. However, many were afraid because 'ownership' was debated, so many people waited until they knew they would be able to legally claim their lands. Others, though, had already settled Ohio by 1800.

The continual push westward was constantly driven by the need for fertile hometeads, and a claim of land ownership. With the majority of men being farmers, land was crucial to their survival. Other primary occupations in almost every town were preachers, teachers, lawyers, blacksmiths, saddlers, and millers (owned saw mills primarily), or still owners (it was easier to make whiskey and carry it east to Philadelphia than to ship crops.

By 1800s, settlers pushed West and Northwest from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, using land trails and the Ohio River. New Yorkers and people from New England states made their way West and South, then westerly again.

By the 1830s, Indiana and Illinois were beginning to be settled, with more and more individuals and families traveling further West.

At the same time, immigrants continued to come to Gulf of Mexico ports and traveled north and west or east.

Often families split up, with some branches or adult children migrating West... and other branches or generation staying put where they were. As an example, a father stayed in SW PA, while one adult son moved to Indiana, one adult son moved to Illinois, one adult son went to Kentucky, and two adult children stayed in the town with their father. These migrations meant that by the 1870s / 1880s, "cousins" in the East had 'forgotten' other branches of the family, their now adult "cousins" whose parents had moved West decades before. This is why people looking for their Family Tree must consider looking in States from the Eastern seaboard .... to California (where settlers began going before 1840). It makes it difficult to research an entire family, but it is well-worth the effort when a person discovers 'long lost' branches of the family.