Why was the nevada territory so appealing to many?

President Lincoln and the Republican party needed more states in the union to gain more votes. Lincoln was worried that he would not win the 1864 election and would then be unable to end the Civil War and he needed more votes to pass the proposed thirteenth amendment.

the mongolian invasion of china and central asia resulted in a disruption of the silk road as the chinese garrisons lost support from the chinese kingdoms which fell under the mongols. however, as the mongols established a formal dynasty in china, the successors of genghis khan restored the garrisons along the silk road allowing the safe travel caravans again.