What factors caused people to the west

The promise of land

Explanation:

The west offered unclaimed land for those who didn't have a penny in their name. They were willing to brave the new and unknown dangers for that promise.

Pioneer settlers were sometimes pulled west because they wanted to make a better living. Others received letters from friends or family members who had moved west. These letters often told about a good life on the frontier. The biggest factor that pulled pioneers west was the opportunity to buy land.