Traders and Settlers of the Westward Migration

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Firstly, as far as the directions go, if these are only discussion questions, all you really need would be a few bits of discussion and maybe a reference to be able to contribute your thoughts. Beyond that, a few of the questions do mention "this chapter" and the like, which suggests you'll want to check your class material against things here, just to make sure you're on-track. But I'll be discussing each question briefly, as best as I can with the guidance you've offered, and a source to review as well for each.

Secondly, as far as content goes:

1) Traders and settlers had a vast number of reasons for migration; but most in both what are now the U.S. and Canada were mostly dealing in fur, so we can use them as an example. They continued to move westward because the raw animal skins from hunting were abundant. With less people around, they were clearly more able to hunt freely and find animals unawares; the lack of incorporation or industrialization to that point also helped them. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean they could get by on their own. Without serious and constant demand for furs in the East, both for the colonists and for exportation, they'd have no livelihood at all. So while they mostly traveled west and north by following rivers and other similar bodies of water (animals need water too, of course), they were always in touch with the eastern seaboard for the sheer fact that they needed someone to buy the furs. Here's more on that: http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_furtrade/fp_furtrade4.html

2) The "Era of Good Feelings" was only called that because there was a lack of political opposition; the "good feelings" were because (it was assumed) everyone in the country agreed. As you may remember from the time the dominance of the Republican Party ended, this lack of opposition ended up being a huge problem. It is also worth noting that the Era was "good" because of a vast amount of positive change: transportation revolutions like the steamboat and railroad, tariffs raised in order to protect and stimulate domestic economy, and (for better or worse) isolationism under Monroe Doctrine to protect Americans from foreign influence and develop on their own. What eventually ended the era was the fact that politics had become much too one?sided, economy had grown to reveal a serious disparity in wealth between owners and workers, and all politicians were able to freely appoint whomever they wanted in government. In other words, when one party rules, they have all the power, and most people are unable or unwilling to think that another option is even possible. This of course changed with Van Buren and then eventually Jacksonian Democracy. Here's more on that: http://www.ushistory.org/us/23a.asp

3) While I mentioned this a bit in the last response, the major economic issues revolved around protectionism and tariffs. Monroe and those who followed him were more than willing to ...