There were several seismic changes that resulted from Westward Expansion. One major change was the Native Americans were relegated to merely the fringes, literally and figurative, of the national discourse. The prospecting for both precious metals and dollars caused Native Americans to be completely displaced in the process. This began to impact national character as the predominant belief of the cultural and economic majority began to take form in the United States. Industrialists were also able to maximize their economic powers with Westward Expansion. Railroads, such as the Union Pacific and Transcontinental, were built with the hands and lives of millions of immigrants and low wage earners who had no recourse as their bosses profited in amazing quantities. At the same time, the railroads' economic profit helped to develop more towns along the way and some of the railroads were actually extended to help develop economic growth in towns that ended up currying favor with industrialists. The notion of "Go West, Young Man," and "Manifest Destiny" had converged in the development of economic and social frontiers, representing both the very best in American growth and worst in it is tendency to silence discourse.
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