Pelts

The Westward Movement The life as a pioneer was very grim. Pioneers were stricken with disease and loneliness. Shaping the Western Landscape Fur trapping was a large industry in the Rocky Mountain area. Each summer, fur trappers would trade beaver pelts for manufactured goods from the East. George Caitlin- painter and student of Native American life who was among the first Americans to advocate the preservation of nature; proposed the idea of a national park. The March of Millions By the mid-1800s, the population was doubling every 25 years. By 1860, there were 33 states and the U.S. was the 4th most populous country in the western world. The new population and larger cities brought about disease and decreased living standards.