what were the promises of california and the west in general throughout US history?

Answer 1

Land, freedom (no one to tell you what to do), and gold.

People that had nothing in the East could go to the West and get land on which they could do whatever they wanted to do and had the possibility of making a lot of money.

The gold rushes made more people go since there was the opportunity to make a lot of money fairly fast.

Answer 2

Gold, it was mostly a run to find the money. And to keep the Mexican government out of the west.

Answer 3

plenty of land to be had and thus the possibility of making some $$.