By all odds the most remarkable westward migration before the California gold rush of 1849 was the Mormon hegira to the Great Salt Lake basin.
(Din) Hijra, as an Arabic word meaning migration (also romanised as hijrah, hejira and hegira) (cf. Hebrew הגירה hagirah for emigration) refers to the emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622, marking the first year of the Islamic calendar, 1 AH (anno higirae)