Question

why did so few people settle west of the mississippi river between 1700 and 1800? the land west of the mississippi river was bad for farming. the land ordinance of 1785 forbid settlers to move west of the mississippi river. the land was promised to the native americans by the u.s. government. the mississippi river was very difficult to cross.

Explanation:

1. The land west of the Mississippi included fertile areas (like the Ohio Valley), so it was not universally bad for farming.
2. The Land Ordinance of 1785 encouraged settlement of western lands (north of the Ohio River) by establishing a survey and sales system, it did not forbid settlement west of the Mississippi.
3. While some treaties were made with Native Americans, the U.S. government did not broadly promise all this land to them, and this was not the primary barrier to settlement.
4. Before the 1800s, limited infrastructure (like bridges or reliable ferries) made crossing the wide, unpredictable Mississippi River a major practical obstacle for most settlers, limiting westward migration.

Answer:

D. The Mississippi River was very difficult to cross.