manifest destiny - economic
In 1848 gold was discovered in California. This started what is today known as the "Gold rush" and inspired huge groups of people to go to California to try their luck and finding gold and striking it rich. Some went there and spent their entire lives making nothing from that point on and others became extremely wealthy by stumbling upon a stash. This was also the start of what is known as the wild west. Small wood cabins, horses, gun fights, and all the stuff people envision in the old western days. Some people would travel from Oregon to California after making the long trip there, or go straight to California from Illinois and states around there. Then some people would leave the city, having worked in the factories or as lawyers, etc their whole lives and take a bout down below south America and back up to get to California and try their luck as miners, even though they had absolutely no experience in it.