Read "The Greatest Story in the World, Period 3" by Horace G. Hutchinson online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
When the United States of America had once acquired the extensive / territory known at the beginning of the century as Louisiana there / was no effective bar to their extension westward until they came to / the shore of the Pacific. There were hostile Indians, and deserts / difficult to traverse in the slow-going wagons, but the westward / progress of the pioneers went on with no serious sets-back and at a / pace which was very wonderful considering the conditions. When the / railway era came -- we may date its beginning approximately at / 1830 -- the progress was much accelerated.
The population of the States grew very fast, both by the increase of / the old settlers and by immigration, especially from Ireland. / Ireland never had been happy in her Union with England, and her / people were discontented and very ready to try their fortunes under / the American flag. Just before the middle of the century the potato, / on which the Irish people chiefly live, had failed almost entirely, / and there had been cruel famine and distress, which further / encouraged them to emigrate.