Westward Expansion Almanac | Religion and the West

• The first missionaries
• Native American religious traditions
• Protestant missionaries
• Mormons
• Peter Cartwright, Methodist Preacher
• Some Must Push and Some Must Pull: The Best-Known of the Handcart Songs
• Conclusion
• For More Information
• Sources

Religion had a significant impact on the settling of the West. Religious beliefs shaped how many Americans thought about the frontier and its possibilities. Some believed their religion would "civilize" the West, saving it from evil forces, and they ventured out into unknown areas to...