er. “The wilderness opened a gate to escape the poor, the discontented and the oppressed”(Turner 68).What was the reason behind the movement west of the South? The expansion of the south was based on the strong demand for cotton. “…the Industrial Revolution, which made textile manufacturing a large-scale operation, castly increased the demand for raw cotton”(Westward Expansion and Regional Differences). Since the invention of the cotton gin made the cultivation of cotton profitable, it was only a question of finding the land to cultivate the cotton. All the people had to do was look westward.What made the people move west? Economics, land, and opportunity to profit were primary factors. With three thousand miles of free and available land, and the opportunity to start a new and better life, and make more money doing it, people packed their bags and moved in. ...
