Industrialization and the West

The most influencing factor in the development of the West is the creation of railways systems that connected this remote part of the US to the rest of the country. This allowed for more people to migrate to the South in search of a better life which in turn created new markets for commerce and agriculture. Eastern products could be easily shipped West and Western products were more accessable to those in the East. The driving of the Golden spike marked the beginning of a new era of technology and globalization. Although many Americans benefited from the development of an trans-continental railway, many didn't, especially the Chinese. These immigrants, who came in search of a new life, were treated like second class citizens; they had no rights to vote and were frequently the targets of hate crimes. In addition to the Chinese, Native-Americans and Hispanics were uprooted to their land and forced to move. This seems like a frequent pattern we see in history. The white guys, with all the money and guns, come in and take over. If you have a problem with it there is not much you can do except to try and adapt.