The American West -

: Explain how the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act connected the East and West, accelerating migration and the decline of the buffalo.

: Explore the motives and hardships of groups like the Mormons and the ill-fated Donner Party, and the significance of the Oregon Trail. The American West

: Trace the rise of the "Beef Bonanza" and the era of the open range, led by figures like Joseph McCoy. 3. Conflict and Conquest (1876–1895) : Explain how the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act