Explain one way in which the american civil war was important in the settlement of the west ?

With Federal resources focused on waging the war farther east, both native tribes and the Confederacy attempted to claim lands west of the Mississippi. The Federal government's response included The Homestead Act and the construction of the transcontinental railroad. The goal was to encourage settlement, solidify Union control of the trans-Mississippi West, and further marginalize the physical and cultural presence of tribes native to the West. 

c) legal battles last five weeks after the election due to the narrow victory in several states.

d) all choices are correct